The Supreme Court granted bail to Zeeshan Haider and Daud Nasir on Wednesday, who were arrested in connection with the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case.

The Court acknowledged their prolonged detention and the unlikelihood of the trial commencing soon.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih noted that the two men had been in jail since their arrest on November 11, 2023, and the charges against them had yet to be framed.

"Appellants have been in custody for approximately one year and one month. Charges have not been framed in the complaint filed under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act). In the complaint, 29 witnesses have been cited, and about 50 documents are being relied upon, which run into more than 4,000 pages," the bench said.

The Supreme Court granted bail to Zeeshan Haider and Daud Nasir in the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case, noting that the trial is unlikely to start soon as charges have not yet been framed.

The court cited the appellants' prolonged detention and referred to previous case law, including the judgment in Senthil Balaji, in support of their decision to grant bail. The Court directed that Haider and Nasir be produced before the special court within a week to complete the bail formalities. They were granted bail on the condition that they adhere to the undertakings filed before the Supreme Court.

The bench also clarified that the undertakings submitted by the appellants on December 6 and 9, 2024, would form part of the record and their compliance would be a condition of bail. It further noted that if the appellants caused any delay in the hearing of the complaint, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could apply for bail cancellation before the special court.

Amanatullah Khan, the former chairperson of the Delhi Waqf Board and the main accused in the case, was recently granted relief by a trial court that refused to take cognizance of the chargesheet filed against him.

The ED has challenged this decision. Haider and Nasir were arrested by the ED in November 2023, in connection with alleged irregularities in the Waqf Board’s recruitment process.

The ED accused Khan of laundering approximately ₹36 crore in proceeds of crime, which were allegedly used to acquire immovable properties through associates, including Haider and Nasir. The case, based on a CBI FIR and multiple complaints lodged by the Delhi Police, uncovered allegations of illegal recruitment, financial mismanagement, and the misuse of Waqf Board properties during Khan’s tenure from 2018 to 2022.

Previously, the Delhi High Court had denied bail to Haider and Nasir in July 2024, citing sufficient evidence to apply the stringent bail conditions under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The Court also noted that Khan and his associates were involved in substantial cash transactions hidden from authorities.