Delhi Excise Policy Scam| Supreme Court issues notice in AAP MP Sanjay Singh's bail plea

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Synopsis

Singh has also moved the top court challenging the high court's dismissal of his plea against his arrest and remand by the ED in a case related to the excise policy scam after he was arrested on October 4 

The Supreme Court today has issued notice in the bail plea filed by Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy scam.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta has also sought the Enforcement Directorate's response. The instant SLP has been tagged with Singh's plea challenging his arrest and remand which will be heard on March 5.

Singh has also challenged the Delhi High Court's dismissal of his plea against ED's arrest. 

The bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma had while dismissing Singh's plea said, "At a premature stage, where investigation is yet to take place, this court doesn't find any ground to interfere with the order of remand or arrest".

On October 19, the high court had reserved order in Singh's plea. Opposing the plea, the ASG had contended, "Essentially, he has moved a bail application under the guise of Article 226. This petition is not maintainable. No fundamental rights have been infringed".

Special Judge MK Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court on October 13 had remanded the AAP leader to 14 days Judicial custody. He will be produced before the court on October 27. Notably, on October 10, the judge extended the remand of Singh to Directorate of Enforcement (ED) custody further until October 13.

On October 10, the trial court had directed Singh not to give an interview to the media while being produced and also asked the press not to ask him questions. The judge had said, "Talking to the media while appearing in court creates a security problem".

Singh was arrested on October 4 by the ED in the money laundering case. According to reports, Singh was taken into custody after day-long searches on his residence. This is the third high-profile arrest in the case. 

The AAP MP was arrested a day later, and a Delhi Court allowed Raghav Magunta, son of YSR Congress MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and businessman Dinesh Arora, both accused in the case, to "turn approvers".

In the prosecution complaint filed by the ED, Sanjay Singh's name appeared in a statement by Arora. 

Arora and Magunta were arrested by the agency earlier this year and are out on bail. Besides the two, businessman and AAP's communication in-charge Vijay Nair was also arrested in September 2022, and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested in February this year.

Case Title: Sanjay Singh vs. ED