ED arrests AAP Goa co-incharge Deepak Singla in bank fraud case

Agency conducted searches in state and Delhi

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday arrested Aam Aadmi Party Goa co-incharge Deepak Singla in connection with an alleged multi-crore money laundering case arising out of a Rs 150 crore ‘scam’ in the Oriental Bank of Commerce, officials said.

The arrest followed coordinated searches at multiple premises linked to Singla and several hawala operators across Delhi and Goa, they said.

The ED action triggered sharp reactions from the AAP which defended Singla, labelling the arrest as “politically motivated”. Senior party leaders including its convenor Arvind Kejriwal slammed the raids, accusing the central government of using federal agencies as a political tool ahead of Goa Assembly elections.

Singla, who previously contested as the AAP candidate from Delhi’s Vishwas Nagar Assembly seat, was taken into custody after the raids led to the alleged recovery of incriminating documents.

It is the second time in two years Singla has faced action by the federal agency. He was raided by the ED in 2024 too.

According to the officials, the money laundering case stems from a massive bank loan fraud in which Singla, along with his family members, is accused of defrauding the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) of more than Rs 150 crore.

The ED has alleged that the defrauded loan amounts were transferred to various shell companies controlled by the accused in Singapore and then these offshore “proceeds of crime” were subsequently routed back into India via illicit hawala channels.

According to the agency, Singla was allegedly managing funds from Delhi to Goa through illegal banking channels.

Reacting to the raids and subsequent arrest, the AAP said in a statement that the action against Singla was similar to the ED and the CBI crackdowns in West Bengal and Punjab, “revealing that leaders refusing to join the BJP were being selectively targeted”.

In a post on X, Kejriwal wrote, “Deepak Singla has not been arrested because he did anything wrong. He has been arrested because he was working against the BJP and refused to join the BJP. Deepak Singla is brave and is fighting for the country.”

NT reporter adds from Panaji:  The state unit of Aam Aadmi Party  said central agencies are being systematically misused by the BJP government to intimidate Opposition leaders, suppress political dissent and weaken parties that refuse to surrender before the BJP.

Addressing mediapersons, AAP Goa state president Valmiki Naik stated that the BJP is targeting the AAP because it knows that the Kejriwal-led party is emerging as the only strong Opposition capable of defeating the BJP.

He said the raids on Singla are linked to an old conspired case being revived selectively to pressure AAP leadership.

He alleged that the ED is not only being used to threaten AAP leaders, but also to gather organisational and political data related to AAP’s growing activities in Goa because the BJP is worried about the party’s increasing popularity and expanding support base among Goans.