The Enforcement Directorate (ED) was given a 24-hour transit remand for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Deepak Singla by the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi. Singla was arrested by the ED after searches at various locations connected to him in relation to an alleged bank fraud-linked money laundering case. It is suspected that Singla was involved in hawala-based fund transfers between Delhi and Goa for the AAP.
Raids were carried out at sites in Delhi and Goa associated with Singla and alleged hawala operators, leading to his arrest. Investigators believe that Singla, along with others, defrauded the Oriental Bank of Commerce of over Rs 150 crore. The ED suspects that funds were channeled through firms controlled from Singapore and brought back to India through hawala channels for illicit purposes.
Singla was arrested by the ED based on allegations and ongoing investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In response, senior AAP leader Atishi accused the BJP of using central agencies like the ED for political motives. Atishi claimed that the BJP had similarly targeted the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal using the ED during elections.
Another AAP leader, Sanjeev Arora, who is also a Punjab Minister, was presented before a Haryana court and remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody. Arora was arrested by the ED in Chandigarh in connection with an alleged GST fraud case. Despite denying the allegations, Arora received support from AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who praised his bravery and patriotism.
