ED files charge sheet against AAP MP in excise case probe

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a charge sheet against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh as part of its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in Delhi's excise policy. Singh is the second high-profile AAP leader to be named and arrested in the case. ED has accused Singh of receiving a total of INR 2 crore in bribes. This is the fifth supplementary charge sheet filed in the case, which has seen six charge sheets filed against 31 individuals and entities. The loss in the excise policy irregularities is estimated at INR 2,873 crore.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday filed a charge sheet against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) parliamentarian Sanjay Singh, 51, as part of its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in Delhi’s 2021-22 excise policy, people familiar with the development said.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh (PTI)

The Rajya Sabha member of Parliament, arrested on October 4 and currently lodged in Tihar, is the second high-profile AAP leader after former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to be named and arrested in the case.

ED also named Singh’s close aide Sarvesh Mishra in the charge sheet filed before a special judge at Rouse Avenue Court, Delhi. The court will take up the document for consideration on December 4.

“A charge sheet has been filed against Singh within the stipulated 60-days’ time from the date of arrest,” said an officer, adding that this will ensure he does not get a “default bail”. According to the law, if a charge sheet is not filed within 60 days of arrest, the accused is entitled to bail.

This is the fifth supplementary charge sheet filed concerning the money laundering case stemming from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged irregularities in framing and implementing the now-scrapped excise policy. CBI has filed three charge sheets against 16 people.

The federal agency that probes financial crimes has so far filed six charge sheets against 31 individuals and entities in the case, including the one against Singh and Mishra on Saturday. At the time of his arrest, ED alleged that Singh received ₹2 crore through his aide accused-turned-approver Dinesh Arora, whom he has known since 2017.

“Sanjay Singh is a key conspirator in the Delhi liquor case. He is closely associated with a number of accused and suspects, including (businessmen) Dinesh Arora and Amit Arora. Singh has exploited and has gained illegal money/kickbacks which are proceeds of crime generated from the liquor policy (2021-22). Further, he has also played a role in conspiracy with others with respect to the excise policy 2020-21,” ED said in its remand note after the arrest in October.

The federal agency has accused Singh of receiving a total ₹2 crore bribe, besides keeping some confidential documents not supposed to be in the public domain at his house. These documents were seized by ED during searches at his house on October 4.

Responding to the development, Praveen Shankar Kapoor, the spokesperson for the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party said, “AAP leaders used to say that there is no evidence against Sanjay Singh and police will not be able to file the charge sheet, but now, not only has the charge sheet been filed but soon, Sanjay Singh will face judicial prosecution and face punishment.”

The AAP did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.

Apart from the excise policy 2021-22, being investigated by both ED and CBI, Singh is also under the scanner in connection with the excise policy 2020-21 that is currently operational in Delhi. It is alleged that Singh had assured changes to the 2020 policy through Sisodia to increase brand registration criteria for Indian-made foreign liquor brands at the behest of Amit Arora and Dinesh Arora.

A CBI officer said that Singh’s role is being probed and his custody may be sought soon by approaching the court. The excise policy 2021-22 was rolled out in November 2021, marking the exit of the government from retail sales of alcohol and allowing private companies to bid for licenses.

But the policy was scrapped when lieutenant governor VK Saxena asked for an investigation, citing a report by the chief secretary who alleged irregularities. The AAP, as well as the government (ruled by AAP), have rejected the charges, alleging it to be a ploy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government to target their rivals.

The agency alleged that the money was paid to AAP leaders by a so-called “South Group” that was awarded nine retail zones in Delhi. The group comprises YSR Congress parliamentarian Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy (or MSR), his son Raghav Magunta, Sarath Reddy (promoter of Aurobindo Group), and K Kavitha (daughter of Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao) and businessman Sameer Mahendru, according to ED.

ED has claimed that AAP used a part of the ₹100-crore kickbacks generated by the Delhi excise policy during its campaigns for the 2022 Goa assembly elections. It has also pegged the loss in the excise policy irregularities at ₹2,873 crore.

(With inputs from Deepankar Malviya)