The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Chanpreet Singh, apprehending his connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. Chanpreet Singh allegedly handled cash funds for the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) campaign during the 2022 Goa Assembly polls. Official sources disclosed the details of the sinificant arrest on Monday, shedding light on the development in the ongoing probe into financial irregularities.
The AAP has vehemently denounced the ED’s investigation, labeling it as politically motivated and asserting that no evidence or funds have been recovered in the matter. The arrest of Singh, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on April 12, marks the latest development in a series of arrests made by the federal agency in connection with the case.
Singh, produced before a special court on April 13, has been remanded to ED custody until April 18, as per sources familiar with the matter. This arrest marks the 17th in the case, with prominent figures such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, BRS leader K Kavitha, and several liquor businessmen already apprehended by the agency.
The ED’s official documents submitted to the court allege that Chanpreet Singh played a pivotal role in managing cash payments for AAP’s Goa election campaign and maintained close ties with the party. The agency has implicated Singh in a larger bribery scandal, alleging that the ‘South Group’ paid Rs 100 crore to AAP to secure favorable positions in the Delhi liquor market.
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Out of the alleged kickbacks, the ED contends that Rs 45 crore was funneled into AAP’s Goa election campaign. Cash payments, purportedly facilitated by Singh, were distributed to various individuals involved in AAP’s campaign activities in Goa, as per ED claims.
Furthermore, the ED alleges that Singh received substantial sums from an ‘Angadia’ firm involved in illicit cash transfers, corroborated by call data records and financial transactions. Singh’s purported association with AAP and other entities, including companies engaged by the Delhi government, forms a crucial aspect of the ED’s investigation.
In response, the AAP has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the ED’s probe is politically motivated and lacks substantive evidence. The party contends that the ED’s case relies solely on the testimony of approvers, many of whom have direct ties to the BJP.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest in the money laundering case did not secure interim relief from the Supreme Court, which has sought a response from the ED by April 24.
The excise case, rooted in alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government’s excise policy, has become a focal point of scrutiny, with the ED intensifying its investigation into the matter.
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