Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. He is the third AAP leader to be arrested by a central agency, following the arrests of Manish Sisodia earlier this year and Satyendar Jain last year.
Earlier this year, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was questioned for nearly nine hours by the CBI in the liquor policy case. He was questioned as a witness in a corruption case involving the framing of a policy to benefit a liquor lobby. However, he has not been summoned for further questioning since then.
Before arresting Sanjay Singh, the Enforcement Directorate raided his home and questioned members of his staff, as well as those linked to him. Arvind Kejriwal came out in support of Singh, stating that nothing incriminating will be found at his residence. Kejriwal also expressed his belief that agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and CBI will become more active as the 2024 elections approach.
Manish Sisodia, the former deputy chief minister of Delhi, was arrested by the CBI in February for alleged corruption related to the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. He has been in custody since then. The ED later arrested him in a money laundering case linked to the CBI FIR.
Satyendar Jain, another former Delhi minister, was arrested by the ED in May last year in a money laundering case. The case is based on allegations that Jain acquired movable properties in the name of various persons without proper explanation. He is currently out on bail on medical grounds.
The arrests of these AAP leaders have raised concerns about political motivations behind the actions of central agencies. With the 2024 elections approaching, it remains to be seen how these cases will unfold.