New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Deepak Singla was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday after the agency conducted searches at premises linked to him in Delhi and Goa in connection with an alleged bank fraud case, officials said.

The ED raids triggered a sharp political response from AAP, with Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Atishi accusing the BJP of using central agencies to intimidate party workers and “steal organisational data” ahead of elections in Goa.

In a post on X, Atishi alleged that the BJP had deployed the ED after witnessing AAP’s growing support in the coastal state.

“With Aam Aadmi Party's popularity growing in Goa, BJP's loyal foot-soldier, ED has been sent here as well! From early morning today, there is an ED raid at the residence of AAP Goa co-incharge, Deepak Singla, as well as the home of some volunteers in Goa. Not only is this an attempt to scare our volunteers, but also to acquire all our organisational data for the BJP!” she wrote.

In a separate video message, Atishi claimed that the BJP had used the ED during the West Bengal Assembly elections to target Trinamool Congress workers and obtain internal organisational information.

“The whole country saw how the BJP used ED against TMC in the Bengal elections. The agency IPAC, which was fighting the elections for TMC, sent the workers to jail. All the data of TMC's organisation was stolen through ED before the elections. After the elections, everyone was released from jail. After the Bengal elections, the next attack was on Punjab. In Punjab, raids were launched on the houses of common party leaders. No action was taken on the BJP leaders who ran away. But leaders like Sanjeev Arora, who refused to join the BJP, were sent to jail. And now, after Punjab, the next target is Goa,” she said.

Questioning the searches at the residences of Deepak Singla and AAP workers in Goa, Atishi alleged that the BJP was attempting to weaken the party ahead of the state elections.

“The BJP knows that the people of Goa hate the BJP government. They know that in the upcoming February elections, the people of Goa will throw them out. And they can see that the popularity of the AAP is increasing in Goa. And for this reason, since this morning, a raid has been going on at Deepak Singla's house in Goa. 15 ED cars are parked there. 50 ED officers are standing there. A raid is going on at the houses of our workers in Goa. Why would a raid be carried out at the house of a common man? Why would a raid be carried out at Deepak Singla's house on the basis of an organisation? To steal the data of the organisation,” she said.

She further asserted that AAP would not be intimidated by the agency’s actions.

“But let me tell the BJP people that the common man party is not afraid of them. They are not afraid of the threats of ED. And today, the people of Goa are seeing how in the last 15 years, the BJP has destroyed Goa. It has troubled the people of Goa. Now, ED also cannot save the BJP in Goa,” she added.

According to officials, the searches and subsequent arrest are linked to an alleged bank fraud investigation being probed by the ED.

The development comes days after Punjab minister and AAP leader Sanjeev Arora was arrested by the ED in a money laundering case linked to alleged fraudulent GST transactions worth over Rs 100 crore.

The ED had said its action against Arora followed searches conducted at multiple premises connected to Hampton Sky Realty Limited (HSRL), which the agency claimed was beneficially owned and controlled by Arora and his family members.

A special court in Gurugram later remanded Arora to seven days of ED custody. AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had defended Arora, praising him for “choosing arrest over joining the BJP.”