ED conducts fresh searches in Delhi excise policy scam

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted fresh searches, including at the premises of some people associated with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh here in connection with its ongoing probe into the alleged irregularities in Delhi excise policy scam under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

According to sources, about half a dozen entities were covered under the searches conducted after some fresh inputs were obtained during the questioning of a few accused involved in the case.

The AAP MP also issued a Twitter video message alleging two of his associates — Ajit Tyagi and Sarvesh Mishra — were also being raided by the central agency.

Recently, Singh had written to the Union finance secretary seeking sanction to prosecute the ED director and an assistant director and investigating officer of the liquor policy case for allegedly making “false and derogatory claims” against him in connection with this probe.

However, the ED officials had then said that the agency had filed an application, on April 20, in a court seeking to correct typographical/clerical” error related to the name of Sanjay Singh in its charge sheet.

The agency sources had said his name appears four times in the charge sheet out of which one reference was wrong as his name was typed “inadvertently” in place of Rahul Singh's.

It is alleged by the ED and the CBI that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.

The policy was later scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the PMLA.