Delhi court remands AAP MP Sanjay Singh to 5 days ED custody

Sanjay Singh was produced before special judge M. K. Nagpal amid heavy security in a room filled with lawyers, journalists, and his family members

A Delhi Court on Thursday remanded Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh to 5 days Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in the money laundering case registered in relation with the ongoing probe into the alleged irregularities in framing and implementing the now scrapped Delhi Liquor Excise Policy 2020-21.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh during an ED raid at his residence in Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI)

Singh, a 51-year-old parliamentarian, was arrested by ED on October 4 from his residence after a daylong raid at his residence for allegedly playing a key role in procuring favours for himself and certain businessmen through his aides by influencing the policy.

The agency has until now filed 5 charge sheets in the matter while in the parallel case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), three charge sheets have been filed.

Singh was produced before special judge M. K. Nagpal amid heavy security in a room filled with lawyers, journalists, and his family members.

ED sought 10 days custody submitting that transactions worth Rs. 2 crores took place at his residence which has also been corroborated by businessman Dinesh Arora in his statements. The agency also alleged that he also received Rs. 1 crore from Indospirits, a special purpose vehicle created for recoupment of kickbacks.

ED also submitted that a total of 239 searches were conducted and the documents and digital evidence seized will be shown to him. They also submitted that three people have been summoned in the case and Singh will be made to “confront” them.

The court asked the agency regarding the number of times Singh had been summoned during the investigation, to which the agency submitted that he hasn’t been summoned until now.

Senior advocate Mohit Mathur, appearing for Singh, opposed the remand application pointing out that till date he has not been summoned even once during the probe. He also submitted that the accused turned approver, Arora, has kept changing his stance throughout the case.

He further alleged that Arora’s statements were recorded earlier this year when Singh had not been named in the case.

ED rebutted the allegations stating that Arora was not named as he felt threatened because Singh is an influential person.

Mathur also submitted that Harsh Sahani judgement passed by the Supreme Court in 1978 still holds good where it was held that custody is not required for confrontation. He also submitted that seeking 10 days custody of someone who wasn’t even involved is an absurd proposition.

The Court allowed Singh to make a submission to which he said that he has never been summoned by the ED and questioned the reason why the agency did it now.

The court after hearing the arguments of both the parties sent Singh to ED custody until October 10