Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have been identified by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its third supplemental charge sheet in the Delhi excise policy scam. Their names appear on the charge sheet even though they are not listed as defendants in the case.
According to reports, Chadha attended a discussion about the liquor policy issue that was held at the home of Manish Sisodia, a former deputy chief minister of Delhi. According to sources, when Singh and Chadha’s names were mentioned, the ED was interviewing accused businessman Dinesh Arora, who later changed his role in the case involving the Delhi liquor policy.
The charge sheet claims that Arora initially connected with Sisodia through Singh during a function held at Singh’s restaurant, Unplugged Courtyard. In response to Singh’s request, Arora contacted a number of restaurant proprietors and secured checks totaling Rs 82 lakh, which he then sent to Sisodia for the purpose of raising party finances for the impending Delhi Assembly elections.
Since 2016, the ED has been looking into the Delhi excise policy fraud, in which a number of Delhi government officials have been charged. The fraud concerns alleged inconsistencies in the 2015 AAP administration’s issuance of liquor licences in the nation’s capital.
Other AAP leaders, including former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar and party MLA Praveen Kumar, were named in two charge sheets the ED had previously filed in the case. The AAP, on the other hand, has denied any part in the fraud and characterised the accusations as politically driven.
It has been the subject of conjecture that Singh and Chadha’s inclusion in the charge sheet may have political ramifications. The AAP, which has controlled Delhi since 2015, intends to remain in power when the Delhi Assembly elections are held in 2025. However, in light of these recent events, the party may have to answer some difficult questions from its rivals.