Waqf Board recruitment case: Delhi court extends judicial custody of three accused

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday extended by 14 days the judicial custody of three persons arrested in a case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board recruitments, which also involves AAP legislator Amanatullah Khan.

The court extended judicial custody of accused individuals -- Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and Jawed Imam Siddiqui -- till December 15 on expiry of their previously granted 14-day jail time.

Appearing for the accused, Advocate Nitesh Rana argued that the remand application is totally "mechanical" and has "no material" to extend the custody.

"Accused ought to be released forthwith," Rana said.

On the other hand, the central probe agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted that the investigation was going on.

Earlier, before Special Judge Geetanjali Goel of Rouse Avenue Court, Rana had opposed the agency's application claiming that money trail was not established, and that there was no quantification of proceeds of crime.

He had said: "The arrest itself is illegal and against the mandate of Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Remand application deserves to be dismissed for lack of merit."

Rana had argued that the ED had no fresh grounds to seek the extension of their custody.

On November 11, the court had rejected the ED's request for their 14-day custodial interrogation.

The ED custody was sought to trace the proceeds of crime, determining the role of other accused persons who facilitated the offence of money laundering, confronting the accused persons with each other and other persons and in order to unearth the truth and to ascertain the complicity of key players involved in money laundering.

Rana had earlier also contended that the alleged proceeds of crime in no manner relate to scheduled offence. Advocate Nitesh Rana for Haider contended that he has already joined the investigation four times and the ED has arrested the accused illegally.

He had said that there was not sufficient material available with the ED for arresting the accused persons.

It was argued that giving evasive answers and non-cooperation cannot be grounds for arresting them.

Earlier, following Rana's accusations of "illegal detention", the judge had sent the accused to judicial custody until November 12.

Rana had claimed that the ED presented his clients after nearly 30 hours of detention, exceeding the 24-hour limit prescribed by law and my client has not dealt with proceeds of crime.

The case involves allegations that Khan, as the Delhi Waqf Board chairman, illegally recruited 32 people in violation of norms and government guidelines.