ED arrests AAP Sanjay Singh after raid in residence, day after Delhi Police action on NewsClick

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested high-profile AAP leader Sanjay Singh in connection with money laundering investigations linked to Delhi excise policy case after day-long searches at his official bungalow, igniting sharp reaction from the I.N.D.I.A parties, which accused the Modi government of “dictatorial” approach.

The ED action came close on the heels of the its notice to Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee to appear before it on October 9 in a recruitment scam case and the arrests of two persons, including NewClick founder-editor Prabir Purkasthya, by Delhi Police after conducting searches at the premises of 46 journalists and staff of the portal.

Singh, AAP Rajya Sabha floor leader, is the third senior leader to be arrested by CBI or ED or both in connection with cases after Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia. While Jain is arrested on charges of laundering money through four firms, Sisodia and Singh are taken into custody in the excise policy case.

AAP responded strongly to the arrest saying he spoke for people and his arrest after Sisodia and Jain showed BJP's “frustration as it is losing to I.N.D.I.A bloc”.

The ED had mentioned Singh’s name in its charge-sheet based on a statement by a suspected middleman Dinesh Arora, who claimed that he met Singh the AAP leader during a party in his restaurant Unplugged Courtyard. In 2020, it alleged, Singh requested him to ask restaurant-owners to generate funds for the AAP for the Delhi assembly elections following which he is claimed to have given a cheque of Rs 82 lakh.

Arora, whose plea to turn approver was accepted by the court on Tuesday, also told the ED that another accused Amit Arora wanted help in shifting his liquor shop from Okhla to Pitampura and that he got it done through Singh who spoke to Sisodia. Arora also allegedly met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal once at his residence with Singh.

The arrest came in the evening after searches at Singh’s official bungalow in North Avenue, near Rashtrapati Bhavan, in connection with allegations of liquor traders paying bribes to AAP leaders who allowed their cartelisation by favourably drafting the Delhi excise policy.  The ED had registered a case on the basis of a CBI FIR filed in August last year. 

As the searches were going on, the BJP held a protest near AAP office in Delhi demanding the resignation of Kejriwal, who was in April questioned by the CBI in the case.

However, Singh and AAP got support from I.N.D.I.A parties. Congress Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Pramod Tewari accused the Modi government of adopting a "dictatorial attitude and creating an atmosphere of coercion, repression, fear and terror" against Opposition leaders. 

Condemning the "outrageous" arrest, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted, "ED under Modi routinely arrests political opponents on grounds of “non cooperation” for not accepting their fabricated statements. For the sake of “India that is Bharat” Modi government must go." RJD MP Manoj K Jha said, "it is not the arrest of Sanjay Singh but of freedom of thought."

NCP Working President Supriya Sule said she was "deeply troubled by the politically motivated" arrest . "It is clear that some 'Invisible Hand' in Delhi is exploiting ICE (Income Tax - CBI and ED) to stifle democratic voices. We stand united and resolute with Sanjay Singh and AAP in defence of democracy," she said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha floor leader Sanjay Raut said, "raids are conducted on us, it happens in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand. But why are there no raids in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and others where the BJP are in power? The way the raids are going on at Sanjay Singh's house, I feel that this is the height of dictatorship."

Samajwadi Party leader Ghanshyam Tiwari said, "this is a new dictatorship model of BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi, Amit Shah and Adani." 

RJD's Manoj K Jha said, "it is sad, but not surprising. Now this series will continue till the election. Modi and Shah have made the formal announcement for the 2024 elections. Yesterday, there was a raid on NewsClick and all the journalists, today on Sanjay Singh."