Jailed AAP leader Sanjay Singh warns of conspiracy against Kejriwal
Imprisoned Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh claimed on Friday that a "big conspiracy to trap" Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was being concocted by the ruling government. A video, shared online by the AAP, shows Singh cautioning that "not just arrest, something big is going to be done to Kejriwal." Singh's statement came as the Rouse Avenue Court extended his remand till November 24 in a corruption case related to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy case.
Why does this story matter?
Singh was arrested on October 4 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the 2021-22 Delhi excise policy. On November 2, Kejriwal was also summoned, but he skipped it. Notably, the AAP supremo was interrogated for nine hours in April in relation to the case, sparking protests from his party members. Several leaders, including Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Manoj Tiwari and spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, speculated that Kejriwal's arrest was "imminent."
Watch: Singh's big claim on Kejriwal
Manish Sisodia allowed to meet his wife
Meanwhile, Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been permitted to meet his spouse on Saturday. On Friday, the Rouse Avenue Court allowed a brief window of six hours for Sisodia to meet his ailing wife Seema. He will meet his wife, who is suffering from an autoimmune disorder and multiple sclerosis, between 10:00am to 4:00pm. On October 30, the Supreme Court denied him bail, saying that a money trail of Rs. 338 crore had been established.
Singh is the third AAP leader to be arrested
Singh is the third AAP leader, after Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, to be arrested in the Delhi liquor policy scam case. Singh had appealed for his release, asking the ED to specify the reason behind his arrest. The agency has accused him of money laundering and being a key player in formulating and implementing the Delhi liquor policy. It is pertinent to note that both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are probing the case.
Delhi's liquor policy scam
The Delhi government introduced the policy in November 2021. Under it, the government withdrew from the alcohol business and permitted only private operators to run liquor stores. However, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered an investigation into the same, claiming there were certain irregularities. The CBI filed an FIR in the matter, based on which the ED also launched its probe. The ED claimed a South Indian group was involved in it, too. The policy was scrapped in July 2022.
