Delhi court dismisses Sanjay Singh's bail plea in excise policy case

New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS) A Delhi court on Friday dismissed the bail plea of AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam. 

The order was pronounced by Special Judge M.K. Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court, who had reserved his verdict on December 12.

Senior advocate Mohit Mathur, representing Singh, had earlier argued that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had not questioned Singh before his arrest.

He had also cited contradictions in the statements of accused-turned-approver Dinesh Arora and other witnesses.

The ED had opposed the bail application, citing the ongoing investigation and expressing concerns that Singh's release could potentially obstruct the investigation, tamper with evidence, and influence witnesses.

On Thursday, the court also extended the AAP leader's judicial custody in the case and asked the ED to provide a copy of its fifth supplementary charge sheet and related documents to him.

On December 19, the court had taken cognisance of the charge sheet, and issued Singh's production warrant for Thursday.

In his plea, Singh had claimed that he was not a flight risk and there was no allegation against him of influencing the witnesses. He had urged the court that he should be granted bail since he has deep roots in society and that "for 15 months there was no allegation of my interfering or influencing in the probe by either the ED or the CBI".

Mathur had said that since the supplementary charge sheet against Singh has already been filed, there was some kind of finality regarding the collection of evidence which should be the basis for granting him bail.

Counsel had said Singh was neither an accused, and was never arrested, or charge sheeted in the predicate offence (the alleged corruption in the excise scam) being probed by the CBI, and that he was not even summoned by the CBI in the corruption case.

His name did not appear in any of the supplementary charge sheets filed by the ED before his arrest, Mathur had claimed.

"Now they are saying I received kickbacks, but ED did not say a single word about this money before this court or superior courts in matters pertaining to co-accused Manish Sisodia, when they produced a flow-chart of money allegedly being laundered," his counsel had said.

Singh, who had moved the Delhi High Court against his arrest and remand, was denied any relief as Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma dismissed his plea, calling it premature. He then moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order that upheld his arrest and remand by the ED.

The financial probe agency on October 4 arrested Singh after carrying out searches at his residence in the North Avenue area.

--IANS

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