A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches on the premises of former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader criticised the central probe agency and also accused lieutenant governor VK Saxena of conspiring to frame him in a false case.
Bharadwaj on Wednesday showed up with a printer to a press conference he addressed over the ED raid.
The searches were carried out at 13 locations, including Bharadwaj's residence and the premises of private contractors, in connection with suspected irregularities in the construction of health infrastructure projects under the AAP-run Delhi government between 2018 and 2019.
As reported by HT, the searches form part of a money laundering probe into suspected corruption, unauthorised construction, unjustified cost escalations, and diversion of funds in projects sanctioned during that period.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Bharadwaj said that a team of ED officials visited his residence around 7:15 am.
“First, they searched my house and then sat me down to record my statement. They had 43 questions for me, and I answered all of them,” he said, according to PTI.
{{/usCountry}}“First, they searched my house and then sat me down to record my statement. They had 43 questions for me, and I answered all of them,” he said, according to PTI.
{{/usCountry}}"After recording my statement, they sent it somewhere. I do not know where they sent it, but later they came to me and asked me to remove a portion of my statement," he alleged.
According to Bharadwaj, his family was led to believe he would be arrested after he refused to change his statement.
"This is how ED functions. They manipulate you psychologically, use coercion and threat. How can ED dictate what I say in my statement?" he asked.
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The AAP leader alleged that his statement was altered and the printout of it was taken from my his own printer and demanded a forensic investigation.
“My statement and how it was altered are all recorded in the ED's Assistant Director's laptop. The printout of my statement was taken from my own printer,” he said.
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“The ED's Assistant Director Mayank Arora shared my statement outside from his own laptop using my Wi-Fi, and that forensic evidence also exists. Their laptop should be seized and its forensic report should be shared with everyone,” he added.
Allegations against Delhi LG
The AAP's Delhi unit chief also accused Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena of conspiring to frame him in a false case.
"The lieutenant governor made sure the officers did not implement the directions. He hatched a conspiracy along with officers to frame me," he claimed.
Bharadwaj also claimed that he knows that he would be arrested and sent to jail. "While I will be in jail, my lawyers will expose the truth," he said.