The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at the residence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday morning. The ED team arrived at 7 am at Singh's residence. AAP MP's name appears in 3 places in the ED's chart sheet in the liquor scam. 51-year-old Singh is a Rajya Sabha MP from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
His staff members and those linked to him were earlier questioned by the ED in this case. It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.
The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the PMLA.
A top AAP leader Manish Sisodia is already in prison in connection to the same case. Notably, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on several occasions accused the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP)-led Central government of misusing probe agencies to target AAP leaders.
Arvind Kejriwal reacts to ED raids at Sanjay Singh's residence
Reacting to the ED raids going on at the AAP MP's residence, Kejriwal said, "Nothing will be found at his residence. 2024 elections are coming and they know that they will lose. These are desperate attempts by them. As elections near, all agencies like ED, CBI and will get active."
He further said that there has been no liquor scam in Delhi and the ED and CBI have been trying to find something for one year but could not find anything.
Sanjay Singh's father reacts to ED raids
Sanjay Singh's father said, "The Department is doing its work, we will cooperate with them. I will wait for the time when he will get clearance."
Earlier, the ED searched a number of locations, including the homes and offices of Singh's close associate Ajit Tyagi and other contractors and businessmen who allegedly benefited from the policy.
The case connects with claims that Singh and his partners assumed a part in the Delhi government's decision to give licenses to alcohol shops and merchants in 2020, making losses to the state exchequer and violating anti-corruption laws.
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