ED Conducts Searches At AAP Leader Raaj Kumar Anand's Residence In Money Laundering Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is currently conducting searches at the residence of Raaj Kumar Anand, a cabinet minister in Delhi and a prominent leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This action is part of an ongoing investigation related to a money laundering case. Notably, these raids are taking place at 12 different locations across Delhi in connection with the same case.

The initiation of these searches is rooted in a prosecution complaint filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The complaint alleges false declarations on imports, which were purportedly made to evade customs duties exceeding Rs 7 crore. Additionally, the complaint mentions suspicions of international hawala transactions.

Crucially, the court has acknowledged and recognized the gravity of the complaint, lending legal weight to the investigation. Raaj Kumar Anand, aged 57, serves as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing Patel Nagar and holds the position of Minister for Social Welfare and SC/ST Welfare, among other responsibilities, in the AAP-led Delhi government.

These search operations at Anand's residence occur at a time when Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has chosen to skip the Enforcement Directorate's summons regarding the ongoing liquor policy scandal. This case has already resulted in the incarceration of Kejriwal's colleague and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Furthermore, another prominent AAP leader, and former Delhi minister, Sanjay Singh, is also in custody as part of the same liquor policy case.

Simultaneously, Arvind Kejriwal has responded to the ED's summons by labeling it "illegal" and "politically motivated." In a communication to the investigative agency, Kejriwal has raised concerns that the notice was issued at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and intended to obstruct his election campaign activities in four different states.

Notably, Arvind Kejriwal was scheduled for an electoral campaign in Madhya Pradesh's Singhrauli district on the day he chose to disregard the ED summons.

It's worth mentioning that six months prior, Kejriwal underwent approximately nine hours of questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi liquor policy scandal. Both the CBI and ED are actively investigating the now-defunct Delhi liquor policy for the year 2021-22, primarily focusing on allegations of preferential treatment toward specific liquor dealers, an accusation that the AAP vehemently denies.

On a separate note, AAP leader and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha made a significant claim on November 1st. According to him, the BJP-led central government is allegedly strategizing to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. This purported action is seen as a response to the BJP's apprehension about losing all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In Chadha's words, "Delhi has 7 Lok Sabha seats. We all know that if the INDIA bloc contests the Lok Sabha elections, BJP is going to lose all seven seats of Delhi. This has made the ruling party so fearful that it is now planning to arrest the opposition leader, and first on the list is Arvind Kejriwal," as declared during a press conference.