AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has alleged that the liquor scam is a big conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to put Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in jail, claiming that top BJP leaders are involved in the conspiracy. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Singh, who was released from Tihar Jail on Wednesday after Supreme Court granted him bail in the excise policy case, said, “Today, I am present here in front of you to tell you how the conspiracy was made to arrest Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal…I will also reveal that this liquor scam has been done by BJP. The senior leaders of BJP are involved in this…”
Further elaborating on his claim, Singh mentioned about a man named Magunta Reddy who turned ED’s approver in the case and gave a statement against Kejriwal. However, Singh claimed Reddy changed his statement after five months of torture and gave a false statement against the Delhi CM. He said, “There is one person, Magunta Reddy, who gave 3 statements, his son Raghav Magunta gave 7 statements. On September 16, when he (Magunta Reddy) was first asked by ED whether he knew Arvind Kejriwal, he told the truth and said that he met Arvind Kejriwal but in the matter of charitable trust land. But after that, his son was arrested and after 5 months of keeping him in jail, his father changed his statement.”
“From February 10 to July 16, seven statements of Raghav Magunta were taken. In six of the seven statements, he does not say anything against Arvind Kejriwal, but in the seventh statement on July 16, he changes his stance and becomes a part of the conspiracy and gives a statement against Arvind Kejriwal. After 5 months of torture, he changed his statement and stood against Arvind Kejriwal,” Singh elaborated further.
Narrating a similar incident, Singh said, “There is a person Sarath Reddy, whose residence was raided on 9th November 2022. When he was asked if he knew Arvind Kejriwal, he denied it and said that he had never met him. 12 statements of Sarath Reddy were recorded and he was arrested on 10th November and kept in jail for a total of six months till 25th April.
“After six months, when he was asked to give a statement otherwise he would rot in jail, he broke down…On April 25, he gave a statement against Kejriwal. Regarding the ten statements which were not against Kejriwal, ED said that it is not trusted and he got bail for his statement against Arvind Kejriwal,” he added.
Singh also tried to link the scam with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said a man involved in the scam as per ED is contesting the election from the Telugu Desam Party and seeking votes using PM’s photo. He questioned, “What is the relation of a man whom ED is saying is involved in liquor scam, with the Prime Minister? He is contesting elections from TDP and is seeking votes by putting the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi…BJP and ED call him a scamster and he is seeking votes from people using the picture of Prime Minister.”
Notably, Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and later his judicial custody was extended until April 15. ED alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam. The agency claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the excise policy.