Twitter: @the_news_21
In a significant development, AAP Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh, aged 51, was arrested on Wednesday following a raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy. Singh becomes the third AAP leader to face arrest in this ongoing investigation.
The Enforcement Directorate initiated the raid at Sanjay Singh’s residence early Wednesday morning, alleging his involvement in a money laundering scheme connected to the controversial Delhi excise policy. The policy, implemented in the fiscal year 2021-22, has faced scrutiny and allegations of facilitating cartelization and benefiting specific liquor dealers accused of making illicit payments. The AAP vehemently denies these allegations.
In response to the controversy surrounding the excise policy, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation, which subsequently led to the Enforcement Directorate launching a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The investigating agency claims that Sanjay Singh played a pivotal role in formulating and executing the now-discontinued excise policy, which was allegedly favorable to certain liquor manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers.
This arrest follows earlier developments in the case, including the arrest of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and the filing of a chargesheet against him by the Enforcement Directorate in May of this year. The chargesheet indicated close ties between Singh, Sisodia, and a restaurateur named Dinesh Arora.
In July, Dinesh Arora was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate, which alleged that he played a crucial role in the financial aspects of the case. The agency claimed that in 2020, Arora received a phone call from AAP MP Sanjay Singh, where it was purportedly discussed that the party required financial support in light of the upcoming Delhi assembly elections.
The arrest of Sanjay Singh adds a new dimension to the ongoing investigation into the Delhi excise policy and further intensifies the scrutiny on the AAP’s involvement in the matter. The party continues to assert its innocence in the face of these allegations, maintaining that the policy was in the best interests of the public.
