Ahead of the assembly elections in Gujarat, state Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Saturday accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of sending black money through Hawala and Angadia routes. The minister also alleged that the AAP candidate from Bardoli, Rajendra Solanki has even admitted to having received money from AAP’s Delhi office.
“AAP sent black money to Gujarat via Hawala and ‘Angadia’ from Delhi, Punjab, and other sources. This money has been nabbed in Bardoli, Ahmedabad, and other locations. AAP Bardoli candidate has admitted that the funds came from the Delhi AAP office,” Sanghavi told the media.
Moreover, the Gujarat Home Minister of State questioned, “He received the money from Angadia. Where did this money come from? They intend to foment unrest in Gujarat…this question should be asked from AAP leaders.”
Notably, on Thursday a bag containing Rs 20 lakh in cash was stolen from the car of Rajendra Solanki, the AAP candidate for the Bardoli seat in Surat, according to police, who added that while the bag was retrieved, they had also written to the income tax department in Surat to probe the source of the money.
On the basis of the cash transfer done by one R Jain, the police were able to follow the money trail from Punjab to Delhi to Ahmedabad. According to the police, Jain handed it over to an Ahmedabad angadia (hawala operator) named Chhagan Jyanti, who then distributed it to angadias throughout Gujarat.
The police seized handwritten notes in code from Angadias. The AAP candidate Rajendra Solanki in his complaint stated that the cash stolen belonged to him, but he later denied it. He also distanced himself from the driver of his car, Santosh Parashar.
“This money does not belong to me; it was sent from Delhi by the AAP for election expenses.” Parashar is not my driver. He is an AAP worker sent from Delhi,” Solanki explained. “I was introduced to him and told that he would manage AAP’s expenses,” he continued. When the money was stolen, Parashar was supposed to hand it over to another driver, NewIndianExpress reported.
The police began investigating the source of the money at this point. Local candidates’ drivers and party workers, according to a senior income tax officer, pick up cash from Angadias and deliver it to candidates and party office bearers.
Angadias and how they operate
The Angadia system is an unofficial courier cum banking service that operates on mutual trust. They serve as an intermediary for the transfer of crores of rupees belonging to traders and wealthy individuals. Their primary operating area is between Mumbai and Gujarat.
They use code words like Jokhim and Zhewar to convey the contents of the parcel when doing business. Mumbai and Gujarat traders and businessmen rely heavily on them to transfer money, jewelry, and diamonds. They deliver in less than 24 hours for a very low fee.