On Thursday, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding Daud Nasir’s bail plea in the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case, implicating him. The case involves the purchase of a property in Okhla for Rs. 36 crore, with Rs. 27 crore allegedly paid in cash from illicit funds.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in connection with this case. Both the trial court and the High Court rejected his applications for anticipatory bail. Meanwhile, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma has issued a notice to the ED regarding the regular bail plea of the accused, Daud Nasir.
The bench ordered a response to the bail petition, scheduling the hearing for May 16. Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain and Special Public Prosecutor Manish Jain made appearances via video conferencing. SPP Manish Jain noted that AAP MLA Amanat Ullah Khan’s anticipatory bail request was previously dismissed, with particular observations concerning this accused as well. These observations should be taken into account when reviewing the current plea.
Nasir faces accusations in the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case. His previous bail application was rejected by the trial court on February 22, 2024. In dismissing Nasir’s bail plea, the court observed that the Enforcement Directorate alleges that Daud Nasir, in his statement under section 50 of the Act, disclosed the purchase of properties in Tikona Park, Jamia Nagar, Delhi, for Rs. 13.40 crore.
When questioned about the transactions recorded in the white diary, his responses were elusive. Upon being presented with the sale agreement for the property valued at Rs. 36 crore, retrieved from the mobile phone of the accused Zeeshan Haider, he acknowledged that the signatures on the certificate were indeed those of himself, Zeeshan Haider, and Ayesha Quamar.
The court had observed, ” There is also force in the contention of the Special public prosecutor (SPP) for the ED that the accused persons have not been able to explain the difference in the amount of sale consideration of Rs.13.40 crores as mentioned in the Agreement for Sale dated 17.09.2021, and the amount of sale consideration of Rs. 36 crore, as mentioned in the Advance Receipt cum Agreement to Sell and Purchase dated 17.09.2021, with regard to the same property total land measuring approx. 1200 sq. yds., situated at Zaidi Villa, T.T.I. Road, Jamia Nagar, Okhla, New Delhi, or the source of funds, out of which payments for the said properties were made by accused Zeeshan Haider and acccused Daud Nasir or the huge cash transactions which had taken place in respect of the said properties.”
The court observed that the investigation into the predicate offences mentioned in FIR no. 05/2020 at PS ACB is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the ED has filed a charge sheet regarding this matter.