Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday sent senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh to five-day Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody. ED had detained Sanjay Singh in the Delhi Liquor Policy case and he had appeared before special judge M.K. Nagpal.
During the hearing, ED had sought 10 days’ custody from the court to interrogate Sanjay Singh. The ED argued that custodial interrogation was required to confront him with physical and digital evidence.
The agency informed the court that they have conducted a total of 239 searches and are still to interrogate and confront key persons in the case.
Further, the ED revealed that a total of Rs 3 crore was provided, of which Rs 2 crore was a cash transaction in two instalments, both of which were delivered to Sanjay Singh’s residence. Dinesh Arora, who has now become government witness in this case, has confirmed this.
Sanjay Singh’s advocate Mohit Mathur argued against ED’s custodial remand. He argued that there is no need for detention merely for the purpose of confrontation.
Advocate Mathur also expressed concern over the credibility of Dinesh Arora, who has become a government witness, and alleged that he is singing to the tune of ED.
Mathur said Arora was made an accused in both the cases and changed his tune only after getting bail, seemingly motivated by a desire to secure his freedom. Mathur stressed that Singh has no involvement in the case and he has not been summoned by the ED.
It is noteworthy that ED had arrested Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday claiming his involvement in the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam. In the same case, former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, who is currently in judicial custody in Tihar Jail, is also accused of corruption and money laundering.
Before Sanjay Singh’s arrest, ED had interrogated him and conducted searches at his official residence. Subsequently, the ED took him into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Before Sanjay Singh’s arrest, a Rouse Avenue court in the national capital had approved two persons, YSR Congress Party Lok Sabha MP Srinivasulu Reddy’s son Raghava Magunta and businessman Dinesh Arora, to turn approver in the liquor policy scam case.
According to the ED, Sanjay Singh played a key role in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy, which has since been abolished, and was allegedly designed to benefit certain liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.