Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, on Friday accused Abdul Sattar Manjothi, one of the individuals arrested for staging a fake Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid, of being a senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader. The AAP, led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, denied the allegations, stating Manjothi had resigned from his position over a year ago.
The incident occurred on December 2 in Gandhidham, where a group posed as ED officers and stole jewellery worth Rs 22.25 lakh from a jeweller. Kutch-East police arrested 12 people, including Manjothi, who is alleged to have played a key role in planning the operation.
Sanghavi, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), claimed that Manjothi was a serving general secretary of AAP’s Gujarat unit. “Abdul Sattar, who was part of the fake ED team arrested by police, is the official general secretary of AAP,” wrote Sanghavi, sharing photos of Manjothi with Kejriwal and Gujarat AAP president Isudan Gadhavi. He alleged that Manjothi acted as the "commander" of the fake raid.
“Another achievement of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party! In Gujarat, a party leader created a fake ED team and looted people by becoming its captain!” Sanghavi remarked.
AAP denies allegations
In response, AAP leader Gopal Italia criticised Sanghavi for politicising a crime to gain political mileage. He stated that the party had removed Manjothi after discovering his questionable activities.
“Our party had already taken Manjothi's resignation after learning about his activities. I am surprised the home minister found out about his political affiliation ten days after the arrest. It’s clear the incident is being exploited for a political agenda,” Italia said.
AAP shared a handwritten resignation letter dated a year ago to support their claim, asserting that Manjothi was no longer associated with the party when the crime occurred.
Police investigation
Police revealed that Manjothi and five others planned the operation, while six others, including a woman, carried out the heist. The incident, resembling a Bollywood plot, has drawn widespread attention. The case has fueled a political row, intensifying tensions between the BJP and AAP in Gujarat. Investigations are ongoing.
