The Enforcement Directorate recently conducted a search at the home of Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in Delhi as part of a money laundering case related to the liquor policy case that has been troubling the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. This investigation has already targeted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Manish Sisodia, Telangana politician K. Kavitha, and others who have faced raids, questioning, and arrests in connection with alleged corruption surrounding the now-withdrawn liquor sales policy introduced by the Delhi government in 2021.
Mr. Sisodia, who was arrested in March, has been unsuccessful in securing bail despite multiple attempts. Ahead of the recent raids, Mr. Singh displayed a defiant attitude by posing next to posters outside his house that “welcomed” the Enforcement Directorate. The AAP party even shared this photo on social media, with fire emojis, earlier today.
These raids against Mr. Singh were prompted by allegations made by businessman Dinesh Arora, who later became an “approver” and provided significant information to the authorities. Mr. Arora was released on bail on August 1. The Enforcement Directorate believes that Sanjay Singh facilitated a meeting between Dinesh Arora and Manish Sisodia, who has been arrested by both the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Sisodia was the excise minister of the Delhi government at the time.
It is worth noting that, although the Enforcement Directorate has filed three chargesheets in this case, Sanjay Singh has not been named as an accused nor summoned to give a statement. However, the agency has referred to him in its documents, which has caused controversy. Mr. Singh alleges a conspiracy to tarnish his political credentials and image, and he has written to the Union Finance Secretary requesting permission to prosecute the agency chief for making false and derogatory claims against him.
The AAP party has accused the central agency of including Mr. Singh’s name in the chargesheet at the behest of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in an attempt to defame the party and its leaders. Mr. Singh has criticized the agency for conducting a baseless probe into the alleged scam.
In response, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is also the leader of the AAP party, has come to the defense of his colleague. He has accused the Enforcement Directorate of acting on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to target political rivals ahead of the upcoming general election. Mr. Kejriwal further claimed that more than 1,000 raids have failed to uncover any illegally acquired money.