Delhi Excise Scam: ED Raids AAP Leader Sanjay Singh's Residence

Raids were conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh’s residence in Delhi on Wednesday. The raids were said to be in connection with the liquor policy scam, for which Sanjay Singh’s aides were searched by ED earlier this year.

The raids come a day after AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s close aide Dinesh Arora and YSRCP MP Magunta Reddy’s son Raghav Manguta turned approver in the money laundering case pertaining to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

Arora, who was arrested in the money laundering case in July, had also turned approver in the CBI case wherein his statements had played a crucial role in the arrest of former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

ED sources told News18 that at this stage, no comment can be given on weather Dinesh Arora turning approver has given fresh leads. There are allegations against Sanjay Singh about the role played in the tweaking Delhi excise policy in lieu of money, sources said, adding that searches are on to probe these.

Hours after the ED began raids at Sanjay Singh’s residence, AAP’s X handle shared a post in Hindi saying, “Imandaari ka doosra naam saansad Sanjay Singh hai [Another name of honesty is MP Sanjay Singh]”.

Sanjay Singh’s party colleague and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia is lodged in jail in connection with the same liquor policy scam. The former Delhi deputy CM and excise minister was first arrested by the CBI on February 26 for his alleged role in the scam. He resigned from the Delhi Cabinet on February 28.

ED later arrested the AAP leader on March 9 from Tihar Jail where he is currently lodged in judicial custody. In its nearly 270-page supplementary charge sheet which has annexures running into 2,000 pages, the ED has called Sisodia a “key conspirator” in the case.

The Delhi liquor scam case or the excise policy case pertains to allegations by the ED and the CBI that the Arvind Kejriwal-led 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 that has been strongly refuted by the AAP.

Reacting to the raids at Sanjay Singh’s residence on Wednesday, AAP supremo and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said nothing will be found at Singh’s residence.

“Since past one year, in the so-called liquor ghotala [scam], there has been a lot of noise. There has been no recovery. They [BJP-led Centre] have levelled many allegations against us. They have investigated all. They have got nothing. Nothing will be found from Sanjay Singh’s house also. They know they will lose elections. This shows their desperation,” Kejriwal said.