ED arrests AAP leader over alleged bank fraud
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Deepak Singla over a money-laundering case linked to an alleged bank-loan fraud. The arrest followed early-morning raids at his residence and properties in Delhi and Goa.
Singla, AAP’s Goa co-in-charge and a former candidate from Delhi’s Vishwas Nagar, was taken into custody after several hours of questioning.
The arrest has triggered a sharp political slugfest. AAP’s Leader of Opposition in Delhi, Atishi accused the BJP of misusing Central agencies to target the party ahead of the Goa polls scheduled for next year, where AAP claims rising support. “With Aam Aadmi Party’s popularity growing in Goa, BJP’s loyal foot-soldier, ED, has been sent here as well!, “Atishi posted on X. She alleged the raids were aimed at intimidating workers and seizing organisational data. AAP supporters gathered outside Singla’s residence in Delhi, raising slogans against the BJP and the ED.
Singla’s arrest comes amid heightened scrutiny by central agencies of AAP leaders. The party has repeatedly described such actions as politically motivated “vendetta politics.” This is especially the case in States where AAP challenges the BJP.
The case involves allegations that, between May 2023 and July 2025, Singla and associates submitted forged documents to public sector banks to secure large loans, which were allegedly diverted for personal use. Singla first came under ED scrutiny in 2024 as part of this ongoing investigation.
The ED has not yet released a detailed statement on the exact quantum of the alleged fraud or the full list of accused. Sources indicated that the money-laundering case directly follows from the bank fraud probe. It is an ongoing investigation, and more arrests are likely in this case, an ED official said.
BJP leaders welcomed the arrest. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said it exposed tax evasion, loan fraud, and the purchase of property using black money linked to the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal. BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma said courts, the ED, and CBI are holding the party accountable for alleged corruption.
As Singla is produced before a court for remand, the episode is likely to intensify the ongoing war of words between AAP and the BJP. Assembly elections are approaching in several states, including Goa. Both sides are expected to frame the arrest as either a victory for accountability or an abuse of power.
