AAP's Punjab MLA From Amargarh Jaswant Singh Detained By ED: Report
Probe agency Enforcement Directorate has detained AAP's Punjab MLA Jaswant Singh.
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday detained Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Punjab's Amargarh Jaswant Singh. This comes amid the ongoing debate between the ruling BJP and the opposition parties over the raids the agency has been carrying out in the last few days. While there has been no immediate confirmation from the ED regarding this development, a senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, who wished to remain anonymous, made the claim, news agency PTI reported.
When questioned about the reports of Gajjan Majra's detention, AAP's Punjab spokesperson, Malvinder Singh Kang, expressed concern, suggesting that the manner in which he was "picked up" from a public meeting by the ED could be seen as a political strategy aimed at defaming the party.
Kang pointed out that Gajjan Majra had a case pending against him before he joined the AAP. In May of the previous year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had conducted raids at properties linked to Gajjan Majra in connection with an alleged bank fraud amounting to Rs 40 crore. In a subsequent development in September last year, the ED had conducted further raids at various locations associated with Gajjan Majra, as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation connected to the alleged bank loan fraud. During these operations, the ED team had seized Rs 32 lakh in cash, mobile phones, and hard drives.
As of now, further details about the situation remain limited.
Last week, the ED raided premises linked to Delhi minister and AAP politician Raaj Kumar Anand. The raid began at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday and lasted at 5 a.m. on Friday. The agency said, that Anand was charged by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) with making hawala payments to China and dodging customs tax of Rs 7 crore on imports, news agency PTI reported. The central investigation agency searched the 57-year-old minister's home in conjunction with a money laundering investigation.
The agency stated that it launched an inquiry against Anand and individuals and companies associated with him "on the basis of a prosecution complaint filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence" for violating different provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
"As per the said complaint, Raaj Kumar Anand did hawala payments to China and evaded customs duty amounting to about Rs 7 crore on various imports," the ED's statement was quoted by PTI in its report.
Top Headlines
