The Enforcement Directorate is searching Delhi Social
Welfare Minister Raaj Kumar Anand’s house in a money laundering case related to
customs since this morning. The raids are underway at 12 premises at different areas
across Delhi.
In the Delhi liquor policy case investigation, 57
years old Anand is the latest AAP leader and minister from the Arvind
Kejriwal-led cabinet to be under the central agency’s scanner along with many
other party colleagues.
The probe is related to alleged false declarations in
imports for customs evasions of over ₹ 7 crore besides international hawala
transactions. A local court had taken note of the complaint by the Directorate
of Revenue Intelligence, after which the ED filed a complaint against Anand, an
MLA from Patel Nagar.
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj hit out at the ED for
raiding Anand’s residence and said his only mistake was that he belonged to the
Aam Aadmi Party.
“The fault of Raaj Kumar Anand is that he is an AAP
MLA and a minister from the party. Even during the British era, if you had to
search someone’s house, you needed a search warrant from the court. Today, the ED
needs no court warrant, their officers decide whose house they will raid. Raids
are conducted only on the premises of Opposition leaders,” he said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was asked to appear
before the ED in connection with the liquor policy case today, but he is going
to skip the summons.
Kejriwal this morning slammed the central probe agency
and asked them to take back their notice immediately, calling it “illegal” and “politically
motivated”.
He has been previously interrogated by the CBI in
connection with the case. His close aide and former Deputy Chief Minister
Manish Sisodia remain in jail in the same case after the Supreme Court denied
him bail. Party MP Sanjay Singh was also arrested last month.
AAP is part of the Indian National Developmental
Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and many members of the bloc have condemned the
summons.
NE Watch Desk
