IT Dept Joins Probe into Delhi-Surat Hawala Racket Linked to AAP

Surat: Just two days after Surat Police busted an alleged hawala network linked to members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Income Tax Department has reportedly joined the investigation to trace the flow of funds.

The Surat Crime Branch has named two AAP workers, Akash Mishra and Ajay Tiwari, in connection with the suspected operation, which it claims was being coordinated by party leaders based in Delhi. It has been revealed that around ₹1.25 crore was sent from Delhi to Surat using angadia channels over the last four months.

Police sources said Mishra had previously worked with senior AAP leader Satyendra Jain and had travelled extensively across states, including Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, where he maintained contact with senior party figures. The funds allegedly received by him were meant for distribution among influencers tasked with shaping public opinion and creating divisions among communities for potential electoral gains.

Preliminary findings suggest that Mishra and Tiwari visited an angadia firm in Mahidharpura multiple times, collecting amounts ranging between ₹15 lakh and ₹20 lakh per visit. It is learnt that the probe may bring senior national leaders of the party under scrutiny.

Investigators have also indicated that both individuals were in touch with AAP leaders in Gujarat. While Mishra has roots in Delhi, he completed his schooling in Surat.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi alleged that a personal assistant of a Delhi-based AAP leader was involved in the racket. He claimed that large sums of money had been routed through hawala channels over the past year and distributed to content creators to incite social discord, adding that the full extent of the operation would emerge in the coming days. DeshGujarat