Waqf Board illegal appointments case: Delhi court sends accused to 3-day ED custody (Ld)

New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) A Delhi court on Monday accepted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) request for custody of three individuals arrested in a case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board recruitment, which also involves AAP legislator Amanatullah Khan.

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

Special Judge Arvind Kumar of Rouse Avenue Court sent Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and Jawed Imam Siddiqui to three days of ED custody for the probe agency 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.

Counsel for the accused 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 ED has arrested the accused illegally. 

He further contended that there is no sufficient material available with the ED for arresting the accused persons. 

It was argued that giving evasive answer and non cooperation cannot be the ground for arresting the accused persons. 

Last time, 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. 

On Monday, on accused Nasir's prayer for the investigating agency be directed to conduct the investigations under audio visual CCTV surveillance, the court directed it to comply with the directions given in the said judgement of Supreme Court in a certain case. 

The judge also directed that the accused persons be medically examined every 24 hours and the ED shall permit the counsels for accused to meet accused between 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. everyday till the next date of hearing, which is November 16.