Court allows jailed AAP leader Sanjay Singh to appear before Rajya Sabha privileges panel

Court also extended judicial custody of the AAP parliamentarian till December 21.

A Delhi court on Monday allowed jailed Aam Aadmi Party parliamentarian Sanjay Singh to appear before the privileges committee of Rajya Sabha to participate in proceedings of the four ongoing cases of alleged breach of privilege against him.

Amritsar: AAP leader Sanjay Singh being escorted to Amritsar court in connection with a defamation case filed by SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia against him, in Amritsar, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. (PTI Photo)(PTI11_18_2023_000116B) (PTI)

Simultaneously, the court also extended the judicial custody of the Aam Aadmi Party parliamentarian, who was physically produced as his previous judicial custody came to an end, till December 21. Meanwhile, the court reserved its order on taking cognisance of the supplementary prosecution charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) naming Singh as an accused in the case registered in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-2022.

Special judge MK Nagpal after conducting an in-camera hearing on the fifth supplementary chargesheet also reserved the order. The charge sheet also named Sarvesh Mishra, an alleged close aide of Singh, as an accused. The court has now listed the matter for order on December 19.

While allowing Singh to appear before the committee, the court directed that he shall not be allowed to meet any political colleague or worker, nor will he be allowed to use a phone or interact with the media.

Read Here: ED files 1st charge sheet against AAP’s Sanjay Singh in Delhi excise policy case

Singh had moved an application before the court seeking directions to the jail authorities to allow him to appear before the committee of privileges. He submitted that he had appeared before the committee but is required to file a reply in the matters pending. He sought permission to personally appear after filing the reply if required.

The court allowed the application directing the jail superintendent that on any working day of this week, Singh may be taken to the office of the Rajya Sabha deputy secretary to file his reply and be brought back to jail in security.

The court further directed that Singh may be produced before the committee if any communication is received regarding the proceedings before the committee.

Singh was arrested by ED on October 4 after searches at his residence and office. He is currently lodged at Tihar jail under judicial custody. The federal agency had filed the chargesheet against him and Mishra on December 2.