The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday, 18 May arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Deepak Singla in connection with an alleged bank fraud-linked money laundering case, following searches at multiple premises in Delhi and Goa. The arrest was made under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after raids targeted locations associated with Singla and several alleged hawala operators.

Key Allegations Against Singla

According to investigators, Deepak Singla, along with his uncle Ashok Kumar Mittal, brother Raman Singla, and Harish Singla, allegedly defrauded the Oriental Bank of Commerce of more than ₹150 crore. The ED suspects the accused routed the alleged proceeds of crime through firms controlled in Singapore, with portions subsequently brought back into India via hawala channels for use in illegal activities.

Investigators further allege that Singla was involved in handling hawala-based fund transfers between Delhi and Goa on behalf of the AAP, though these allegations remain under investigation and have not been proven in court.

AAP's Political Response

Senior AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi sharply criticised the ED action, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was misusing central investigative agencies for political ends. In a video message posted on X, Atishi said: 'Even ED raids won't be able to save the BJP in Goa.'

She drew a parallel with the BJP's alleged use of the ED against the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) during elections in West Bengal. 'The whole nation saw how the BJP used the ED against the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. The agency targeted Trinamool Congress leaders during the elections and several party workers were sent to jail,' Atishi said. She further alleged that the ED was used to access TMC's organisational data, and that leaders who subsequently joined the BJP faced no further action — a charge the BJP has not publicly addressed.

Sanjeev Arora Sent to Judicial Custody

In a related development, AAP leader and Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora was produced before a Haryana court on Monday and remanded to 14 days' judicial custody. He is next scheduled to appear before the court on 1 June. Arora was arrested by the ED in Chandigarh on 9 May under the PMLA in connection with an alleged GST fraud case linked to a company he headed. Arora has denied all allegations, asserting that the company's mobile-phone export operations were fully compliant with applicable laws.

AAP national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed solidarity with Arora in a post on X, writing: 'Sanjiv ji, you are brave. You are patriotic. The whole of Punjab is proud of you.'

Pattern of ED Action Against AAP

The arrests of both Singla and Arora add to a growing list of AAP leaders who have faced ED action in recent years. Notably, Kejriwal himself was arrested by the ED in March 2024 in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case — a case the party has consistently called politically motivated. The BJP has maintained that all ED actions are driven solely by evidence and are independent of political considerations. With assembly elections in Goa on the horizon, the timing of the arrests is likely to remain a flashpoint between the two parties.