Enforcement Directorate Raids and Arrests AAP’s Sanjay Singh in Delhi Liquor Policy Case
Sanjay Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the controversial Delhi liquor policy. This move comes following a raid on his residence in Delhi. The liquor policy case has been a contentious issue for the AAP-led Delhi government, with several prominent politicians being either raided, questioned, arrested, or a combination of these actions.
One of those figures previously targeted was Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, and Telangana politician K Kavitha, among others. Manish Sisodia had been arrested earlier by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and has faced difficulties in securing bail.
Prior to today’s raids, Sanjay Singh posted a defiant picture next to posters outside his home, “welcoming” the Enforcement Directorate. The AAP subsequently shared this photo on social media with fire emojis.
The raids on Sanjay Singh were prompted by accusations from businessman Dinesh Arora, who later became an “approver” and a source of information for the authorities. Dinesh Arora was released on bail on August 1.
The Enforcement Directorate believes that Sanjay Singh arranged a meeting between Dinesh Arora and Manish Sisodia, who was then the Delhi government’s excise minister. Although the agency has filed three chargesheets in the case, it has never officially named Sanjay Singh as an accused or summoned him to record a statement.
However, the agency made references to Sanjay Singh in its documents, sparking controversy. Sanjay Singh accused the agency of a conspiracy to tarnish his political reputation and image. He requested permission to prosecute the agency chief for making “false and derogatory claims” against him. The Enforcement Directorate later clarified that one reference to Sanjay Singh was a “typographical/clerical error” and that it had intended to name Rahul Singh, who was then the Delhi excise commissioner, in that place.
The AAP, on the other hand, alleged that Sanjay Singh’s name had been mentioned at the behest of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to defame the party and its leaders. Sanjay Singh criticized the agency for conducting a baseless investigation into the alleged scam.
