Enforcement Directorate Arrests AAP MP Sanjay Singh in Liquor Policy Case

AAP has maintained that this case is political vendetta being carried out by the Union government, using the central agencies.

New Delhi: After conducting a search operation at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh’s house in New Delhi since early morning on October 4, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in the evening.

The agency has said the operation is in connection with the liquor policy case.

AAP has maintained that this case is political vendetta being carried out by the Union government, using the central agencies. Two senior AAP leaders – former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain – have been arrested in the case.

Singh’s name was mentioned in the ED’s prosecution complaint filed last year in December, according to The Indian Express.

“What to say, the ED is doing its work. He (Sanjay Singh) wasn’t saying (alleging witch-hunt) just like that. If I accuse you of something and then cannot prove it, then it will be called high-handedness,” Singh’s father Dinesh Singh said.

AAP spokesperson Reena Gupta said, “The ED raid is a result of Sanjay Singh being vocal about the Adani issue and the black money invested in his company. Neither they (ED) found anything earlier, nor they will find anything today. None of us is afraid.” AAP tweeted an old video of Singh in which he is seen campaigning against corruption, and said the leader is the epitome of honesty.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha too condemned the ED action, saying, “It is sad, but not surprising. Now this series will continue till the election. Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah have made the formal announcement for the 2024 elections. Yesterday, a raid was on NewsClick and all the journalists, today on Sanjay Singh…”

The ED case, which was registered in September last year, is based on a CBI FIR filed in August. The CBI had booked Sisodia, three excise department officials and several vendors and distributors among the 15 accused it had arraigned in its FIR.

This article, originally published at 10 am on October 4 with the news of the ED’s raids on Singh, was republished at 5:40 pm on the same day with updates on the case.