Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the liquor policy scam.
On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate went knocking at yet another Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) senior leader, Sanjay Singh‘s residence. The investigative agency raided the AAP leader’s residence on Wednesday, 4 October. The ED had earlier questioned members of the staff and those linked to the 51-year-old Rajya Sabha MP.
ED has not yet named Singh in any of the five charge sheets filed so far in connection with its money laundering probe into irregularities in Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
The Delhi Excise Policy probe by the ED has kept former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in jail since 26 February this year.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh has been on ED radar after the chargesheet filed against Manish Sisodia mentioned that restauranteur Dinesh Arora was “extremely close” to both Singh and Sisodia.
Dinesh Arora is an accused who turned approver for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Arora was arrested by the ED in July citing that he was a key person in the Delhi Excise Policy scam.
ED claims against Sanjay Singh
-According to a Hindustan Times report, the ED has claimed that Dinesh Arora had met Sanjay Singh through whom he was introduced to Manish Sisodia. The meet happened at Arora’s restaurant Unplugged Courtyard.
-The ED also cited a call that they claim happened between Sanjay Singh and Dinesh Arora. Reportedly in the call, AAP MP Singh said, “Delhi assembly elections were coming, and AAP was in need of funds, and he should seek funding from other restaurateurs for the same”.
On request of Singh, he spoke to many of the restaurant owners and arranged cheques amounting to ₹82 lakh (handed over to Sisodia) for collection of party funds for upcoming assembly elections in Delhi,” the ED charge sheet stated.
-ED has also claimed that another businessman Amit Arora met AAP MP Singh through Dinesh Arora in 2020
-The brands that Amit Arora’s business sold were relatively high-end and were highest selling brands in other states but in Delhi because of government controlled retail stores were not doing very well. By inserting a clause in the new policy, Amit Arora wanted to get a better space in the Delhi liquor business, reported by Hindustan Times
-ED claims that “Sisodia had assured to make changes in then proposed 2020-21 excise policy to increase the brand registration criterion for IMFL brands at the behest of Amit Arora and Dinesh Arora”.
In exchange of this, ED adds, as associate and team member of Sanjay Singh – Vivek Tyagi was given stakes in the business run by Amit Arora, Aralias Hospitality.
-According to ED, allowing Singh’s aide stakes in Amit Arora’s company in lieu of incorporating changes in excise policy, was a “quid pro quo between Amit Arora, Dinesh Arora and Sanjay Singh and Sisodia“.
Notably, the policy change to Delhi Excise policy was never implemented and the old policy of 2019-20 was extended.
What is the delhi excise policy scam case?
It is alleged by the ED and the CBI 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.
