I-T dept searches premises linked to AAP's Delhi MLA Gulab Yadav, others

The Income Tax department on Saturday conducted searches against AAP MLA Gulab Singh Yadav and some others in Delhi as part of a tax evasion investigation, official sources said

 In what could spell further trouble for the Aam Adami Party (AAP), the Income Tax Department (IT) is conducting searches at the premises of Delhi AAP MLA Gulab Singh Yadav on Saturday, sources said.

According to the sources, the raids at the residence of the AAP MLA got underway on Saturday morning.

Gulab Singh Yadav is the AAP MLA from Delhi's Matiala seat. He is a two time MLA.

IT searches at Gulab Singh's residence comes two days after the ED arrested Delhi Chief Minister and national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal, in the excise policy case.

Kejriwal, who was arrested on Thursday night, was sent to ED custody till March 28 by Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

ED, which was given the custody of Delhi CM Kejriwal until March 28, has alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged excise policy scam.

"The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the Delhi Liquor Scam," according to the remand note of the agency.

"Part of the proceeds of crime to the tune of cash of Rs 45 crore approx. has been utilised in the election campaign of AAP in Goa Assembly elections 2022," the ED alleged.

The agency further claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the Excise policy.

"Arvind Kejriwal has also been intrinsically involved in the entire conspiracy of the Delhi liquor Scam wherein the policy was drafted and implemented in a manner wherein certain private persons were favoured and benefitted in a quid pro quo of receiving kickbacks," the probe agency said in its remand note.

ED also claimed that due to the actions of Arvind Kejriwal involving excise policy formulation, hatching the conspiracy of kickbacks with the South Group members, and eventually using part of the proceeds of crime generated out of this scheduled offence in the election campaign of AAP for Goa Assembly elections, it is clear it all these activities were not only done with his knowledge but also his active collusion.

Delhi CM Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency after he skipped multiple summons by the investigation agency, nine in total, calling them "illegal".

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2022, which was later scrapped.