Who is Raaj Kumar Anand, Delhi minister raided by ED?
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting searches at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Social Welfare Minister Raaj Kumar Anand's house in a customs-related money laundering case. According to reports, an ED team reached the minister's residence in the Civil Lines area on Thursday morning and started searches. The probe agency is also conducting raids at nine other premises linked to Anand.
Visuals from Anand's home in Delhi's Civil Lines area
Searches were initiated based on complaint by DRI
The raids were carried out in response to a prosecution complaint filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). It accuses Anand and others of making false declarations in imports to evade over Rs. 7 crore in customs duties, as well as for engaging in international hawala transactions. A local court has taken cognizance of the complaint.
Raids coincide with Kejriwal's ED questioning on Thursday
This new development comes right before Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was scheduled to appear before the ED at 11:00am on Thursday concerning the Delhi liquor policy scam case. However, Kejriwal is skipping the ED summons and will instead be in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. Kejriwal had written to the ED asking it to withdraw the summons, calling it "illegal, politically motivated, and sent at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)."
Know about Delhi liquor policy scam case
As per probe agencies, the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Police 2021 led to cartelization by granting licenses to ineligible players for kickbacks, which the AAP used during the poll campaign in Goa. While the Kjriwal-led Delhi government dismissed the claims by alleging that the policy would have increased revenue, the agencies alleged it caused massive financial losses to the exchequer.
Kejriwal wasn't named as accused in CBI chargesheet
After Manish Sisodia's bail plea was rejected by the Supreme Court on Monday, several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders said that Kejriwal's arrest in the case was imminent. Notably, Kejriwal is not named as an accused in the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Sisodia have already been imprisoned in the same case.
Who is Anand
Anand is a first-term legislator from Delhi's Patel Nagar assembly constituency. He was elected to the Delhi Assembly in February 2020. He is a Delhi Cabinet Minister for Social Welfare, SC & ST, Gurudwara Elections, and Registrar of Cooperative Societies. He was a successful businessman selling rexine leather before getting involved in politics. In addition to being a social worker, he founded the Anandpath Foundation to improve the lives of the poor.
