AAP’s Sanjay Singh seeks Supreme Court bail after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea, directing the trial court to expedite the proceedings. Singh, arrested in October 2023, faces allegations of favoring liquor entities through the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has approached the Supreme Court seeking bail in connection with the money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) related to the Delhi excise policy scam. This move comes after the Delhi High Court dismissed Singh’s bail plea on February 9, 2024, and directed the trial court to expedite the proceedings.
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The High Court’s order stated-
“No ground for the grant of bail is made out. We direct the trial court to expedite the trial. No unnecessary adjournment be sought by either side.”
Despite this setback, Singh remains determined to challenge the charges against him.
Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on October 4, 2023, following a search at his residence. Since October 13, 2023, he has been in judicial custody after the trial court rejected his bail plea on December 22, 2023.
The case revolves around allegations that Singh played a pivotal role in formulating and implementing the now-abandoned Delhi excise policy. The policy is believed to have been designed to favor specific liquor manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers.
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In his defense, Singh had previously challenged his arrest, arguing that it constituted an abuse of the legal process and was in contravention of the Supreme Court’s judgment in the landmark Pankaj Bansal v. Union of India case, also known as the M3M Reality case.
However, his plea was dismissed by the High Court on October 20, 2023, with the court affirming the credibility of the ED and cautioning against attributing political motives to its investigations, stating such allegations could tarnish the country’s image.
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Following the rejection of his initial plea, Singh sought recourse at the Supreme Court, which, during a hearing on November 20, 2023, granted him the liberty to apply for bail at the trial court. Despite this, both the trial court and the High Court subsequently denied his bail applications, leading to the current appeal before the Supreme court.
