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After the arrest of Chanpreet Singh, who allegedly 'managed' the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) funds for the Goa assembly elections, the party accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of running a "politically motivated investigation".
AAP alleged that the Delhi liquor policy case is solely based on the statements of approvers, many of whom have a direct connection with the BJP, like Sharath Reddy. "The entire country knows that the real Delhi liquor scam took place after ED started its investigation and arrested scam kingpin Sharath Reddy, who later transferred Rs 55 crore of his proceeds from the crime to the BJP via electoral bonds. After two years of investigation and over 500 raids, not a single rupee or piece of evidence has been recovered from AAP leaders," the party's statement said. "ED is running a politically motivated investigation and making its case solely based on the statements of approvers, many of whom have a direct connection with the BJP, like Sharath Reddy," it added. Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested Singh in the same case. The money laundering case stems from the CBI FIR. The ED has arrested various people in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody. The Delhi Court on Monday extended the judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal till April 23 in the money laundering case connected to the now-scrapped liquor policy. Earlier, AAP leader Kejriwal approached the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court judgement that dismissed his plea against arrest by the ED and his subsequent remand in the excise policy case. On April 9, the High Court dismissed his plea for release from jail and rejected his argument of political vendetta amid the looming Lok Sabha elections. The High Court had said that Kejriwal's absence from nine ED summons over six months undermined any claims of special privilege as Chief Minister, suggesting his arrest was an inevitable consequence of his non-cooperation. Party Leader Sanjay Singh, who was in jail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case since October last year, got out on bail earlier this month. The ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam. (ANI)
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