ED raids premises of Congress MLA Rao Dan Singh: 1392 crore Bank loan fraud, Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s close aide and looking to launch his son in politics

Rao Dan Singh, a well-known name in the politics of the Ahirwal region of Haryana and considered among the top close aides of Congress veteran Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the state, today woke up to the shocking news of an Enforcement Directorate raid on his premises and locations associated with an alleged Rs. 1392 crore scam which also involves his son Akshat Rao and many others. 

The Enforcement Directorate team searched the locations of a metal fabricating company, Allied Strips Limited (ASL), and its promoters Mohinder Agrawal, Gaurav Agrawal along with 15 other places which include Mahendragarh, Bahadurgarh, and Gurugram in Haryana, Delhi, and Jamshedpur.  According to the sources, the ED has found that certain firms owned by Rao Dan Singh’s son Akshat Rao took loans from this ASL which were later written off. The case first appeared in the news in 2022 and the amount involved shocked the people. 

Who is Rao Dan Singh?

Rao Dan Singh, 65, is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly, representing the Mahendragarh constituency of South Haryana. Winning the Mahendragarh constituency, thrice in 2000, 2005, and 2009  Rao consolidated his power clout in the region along with working as a close aide of Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh who earlier represented Congress in the state. 

After he disagreed with Rao Inderjit Singh, Dan Singh shifted his loyalties towards Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s camp in Rohtak and he also got rewarded handsomely for that. Along with direct entry to the 10, Janpath, Dan Singh was promoted to the post of Vice-President of Haryana Olympic Association in 2012 when Bhupinder Singh Hooda was ruling the state. 

Though Dan Singh lost his seat to his arch-rival Ram Bilas Sharma, in the 2014 assembly elections, he made a comeback in 2019 and defeated Ram Bilas in 2019. His closeness to Bhupinder Singh Hooda again did wonders for him when during the ticket distribution for the 2024 Lok sabha elections, Hooda preferred Dan Singh for the Mahendargarh Lok Sabha seat sidelining another party veteran and daughter-in-law of Bansi Lal, Kiran Chaudhary. Rao Dan Singh lost the election to his old college friend Dharambir Singh, he described the internal feud in the state unit of the Congress party as responsible for his loss. As per sources, Rao Dan Singh was hoping for a Congress ticket in the 2024 assembly elections for his son Akshat Rao who is looking for a launch in the politics of Haryana. 

Notably, Rao’s reputation as a leader is continuously maligned by the corruption charges against him. Earlier, the name of Rao’s family also appeared in the infamous Adarsh Cooperative Society scam, and in 2022, the alleged scam of 1392 crore which also involved his son shocked everyone.  Interestingly, the stories of Rao Dan Singh’s luxury life are famous in the Ahirwal region. People who used to visit Dan Singh’s residence in Gurugram described it as a “Mahal” and usually bragged about their closeness to the rich MLA. Ironically, the constituency of Mahendragarh which he represents, is considered among one of the most backward regions of Haryana which is marred by problems like unemployment, water crisis, and unavailability of good health facilities.  As further details of the ED are awaited, it will be interesting to see what comes out of it and how it will shape the political future of Rao Dan Singh and family.