Sanjay Singh, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP, was put to ED remand by Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday, October 5, five days after being detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy Case.
In this case, there have been two prominent arrests. Manish Sisodia, a former deputy chief minister of Delhi, was detained in connection with the same case earlier in February.
Around 7:00 AM on Wednesday, a group of ED officials arrived to Singh’s home in New Delhi and began conducting searches.
According to ED officials, locations belonging to some other people involved in the case were also searched during the operation, according to news agency PTI. Ahead of time, the ED questioned those connected to the 51-year-old Rajya Sabha MP’s staff.
The Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021–2022, which grants licenses to liquor traders, has been severely disputed by the AAP. The ED had claimed that it permitted “cartelization” and preferred specific dealers who had reportedly paid bribes for it.
A restaurateur named Dinesh Arora was described as being very close to both Singh and Sisodia in an ED chargesheet against Sisodia that was submitted in May of this year.
AAP members were detained in Lucknow earlier on Wednesday while staging a protest over the ED’s search of Singh’s home.
Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the AAP, had already declared on October 4 that “nothing will be found at his apartment. They anticipate losing the upcoming elections in 2024. These are their last-ditch efforts. All agencies, including the ED and CBI, will become more active as elections draw near.
While speaking to the media after meeting Singh’s father, RJD MP said, “It’s not the arrest of Sanjay Singh but of freedom of thought.”
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa commented on the arrest by saying, “AAP is now saying that it is a political vendetta and that they knew it earlier. You had to be aware in advance…You had to do time in prison for disbursing cash and collecting millions of rupees. You’ll be required to account for it.
They are currently attempting to win people over by claiming that you are innocent, he continued. You’ve lied all the time.Arvind Kejriwal, you’ll also need to account for it, according to ANI.
“Today, Delhi’s faith in those who are participating would have been restored.