ED cooking up 'false cases' under political pressure: AAP MP

New Delhi: AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday alleged that the Enforcement Directorate has obtained "false statements" from some people putting them under duress in the Delhi excise policy case and said he will raise the issue before the privilege committee of Parliament. Addressing a press conference here, Singh alleged that the ED sleuths beat up one Chandan Reddy so badly to obtain his false statement during interrogation that he is facing hearing loss.

"Chandan has moved (Telangana) High Court complaining against the ED," Singh said. The AAP leader also showed purported copies of the petitioner's medical certificate and said he will raise the matter before the Parliament's privilege committee along with the documents.

"These documents prove that ED makes false cases under political pressure, defames governments and levels false allegations... There is no liquor scam," Singh said. He claimed that alleged liquor scam accused Sameer Mahendru, Arun Pillai and three others have also complained against ED officials, accusing them of having obtained their statements under duress. "I have been given privilege notice for raising abysmally low conviction rate of ED cases...I will now raise this issue before the privilege committee with documents so that ED officials are called and truth about the complaints filed against them be ascertained," Singh added.

He further alleged that some people who are not ED officials have been part of the agency's investigation process.

"This is how the ED has become the enforcer of dictatorship. Even people who are not ED officials were present during Chandan Reddy's interrogation. Who are these goons accompanying ED during their investigation? Arun Pillai, Sameer Mahendru, Bhusar Belgavi, Manaswami Prabhu and Raghav Reddy have even accused the ED of torturing them during interrogation," Singh alleged. He claimed that former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia's private secretary, Rinku, was also called for interrogation by the ED. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also took to twitter and said, "The allegations levelled by Sanjay Singh against the ED are very serious."

The Aam Aadmi Party \staged a protest outside the party office here alleging that false cases have been framed against its leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Scores of AAP leaders and workers gathered at DDU Marg and raised slogans against central agencies. The security outside the AAP office has been beefed up with a large number of police personnel deployed in the area. Barricades have also been put up and water canons kept on standby. AAP national convener Gopal Rai, AAP MLAs Kuldeep Kumar and Jarnail Singh, among others, participated in the protes.