Delhi HC seeks ED response on AAP MP Sanjay Singhs bail plea in a Delhi liquor policy scam case

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued notice and sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a bail plea by Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh, arrested in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy 'scam'.

A single-judge bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice to the investigating agency and listed the matter for further hearing on January 29.

The Rajya Sabha member has challenged a trial court's December 22 order dismissing his bail plea in the money laundering case.

Sr. Adv. Mohit Mathur appearing for Singh submitted that the senior AAP leader has been in custody for the last three months and no role has been attributed to him in the predicate offence.

He said Singh was arrested after the ED's "star witness" Dinesh Arora made a statement after turning approver in the matter. Mathur highlighted that even Arora had "changed his statement several times.

Singh was arrested on October 4 last year following searches at his North Avenue home, and was the third AAP leader to be arrested in the matter.

While arresting Singh, the ED had alleged that Singh played a key role in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy, which benefited certain liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, for monetary consideration.

The trial court while rejecting his bail had observed that he was connected with the "proceeds of crime to the extent of Rs 2 crore" and the case against him was "genuine".

On Monday, Singh, AAP's UP in-charge, arrived at Civil Lines in a police van to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha. A Delhi court had on Thursday allowed him to sign his renomination documents from jail itself.