Delhi Excise Policy: SC Issues Notices on AAP Leader Sanjay Singh’s Plea

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and the Enforcement Directorate(ED) on AAP leader Sanjay Singh’s plea challenging his arrest and remand in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti issued a notice to the Centre and the ED, instructing them to submit their responses before December 11, 2023.

The bench further directed that if Singh files a petition for regular bail in the interim, it should be considered independently of the observations made in the Delhi High Court’s judgment dated October 20.

Singh, arrested on October 4 in the case, approached the top court challenging the High Court’s decision.

The High Court, in its order, had declined to intervene in his arrest, stating an inability to impute a political motive to a premier investigating agency without material on record. It also asserted that Singh’s case was not a “prima facie case of no evidence at all.”

The ED’s money laundering case originates from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR.

Both the CBI and the ED allege irregularities in the modification of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, with undue favors allegedly extended to license holders. Singh is accused of playing a significant role in formulating and implementing the policy, benefiting certain liquor manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers for monetary considerations.

Following his arrest, the trial court placed Singh in ED custody. On October 13, he was further remanded to judicial custody until October 27, 2023.