The Taliban intelligence department in Kandahar has reportedly arrested Mullah Jan Mohammad Madani, a close adviser to Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, on allegations of receiving a bribe of 800,000 Pakistani rupees.
According to sources, Madani was detained four days ago and is currently in custody. He previously served as a member of the Taliban’s Darul Ifta in Kandahar and was also part of the group’s negotiating team in Qatar during earlier peace talks.
Reports suggest that he was arrested in connection with a murder case, where he allegedly accepted a bribe from the opposing party in exchange for resolving the dispute or issuing a religious ruling in their favour.
A source familiar with the matter told an exiled Afghan journalist that several legal cases were referred to Madani due to his position within the religious judiciary system, where he was expected to either mediate or issue fatwas. In one such murder case, he is accused of taking 800,000 Pakistani rupees in bribes, leading to his arrest and imprisonment.
Sources further claim that Mullah Jan Mohammad Madani is among Hibatullah Akhundzada’s close advisers and enjoys direct access to the Taliban leader compared to many other officials.
He is also said to run a religious seminary in Kandahar city with hundreds of students and plays an advisory role on sensitive religious and administrative matters within the Taliban leadership structure.
The arrest has raised further questions about internal accountability and corruption allegations within the Taliban’s governing framework, particularly involving senior figures close to the group’s top leadership.
