ED raids AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s premises in Delhi excise policy case
Being targeted for raising Adani issue, says AAP; raid comes on a day when SC is scheduled to resume hearing bail plea of Manish Sisodia
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday (October 4) morning raided the premises of AAP MP Sanjay Singh in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money-laundering case, officials said.
Some other premises of people linked to the case were also being searched, they said.
Singh (51) 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.
This comes on a day when the Supreme Court is scheduled to resume hearing the bail plea of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who was arrested earlier this year in the same case.
Sisodia has two special leave petitions listed against the CBI and the ED for Wednesday.The AAP alleged that the ED “targeted” Singh as he raised issues related to the Adani Group in Parliament.
“Sanjay Singh kept on raising questions on the issue of Adani and this is why the raids are being conducted at his residence. The central agencies found nothing earlier and won’t find anything today either. First, they conducted raids at the residence of some journalists yesterday and today, raids conducted at Sanjay Singh’s residence,” AAP spokesperson Reena Gupta said.
Sanjay Singh’s father Dinesh Singh said they are cooperating with the ED.
“The ED is doing their job. I don’t know the exact time but around 7.30 am they came to conduct raids...I told ED officials they can conduct raids until late at night, we don’t want them to visit again and again,” he said.
Delhi excise policy 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.
Singh had demanded a probe into the allegations against the Adani Group.
US-based firm Hindenburg Research had alleged that the Adani Group had engaged in brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud.
The Adani Group has denied all allegations.
It has been 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.
(With agency inputs)
