Delhi HC Dismisses AAP MP Sanjay Singh's Plea Against His Arrest, Remand In Liquor Scam Case

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma denied his plea contesting his detention and remand in the case, finding "no ground" was shown to award him relief.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh.

Source : PTI

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the a plea moved by Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh challenging his remand and arrest in the liquor 'scam' case, news agency ANI reported. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma denied his plea contesting his detention and remand in the case, finding "no ground" was shown to award him relief. Singh, who was detained by the ED on October 4, filed a high court petition last week challenging his detention and remand in a money laundering case involving suspected errors in Delhi's excise policy for 2021-22.

Last week, the trial Court sentenced Sanjay Singh to judicial custody until October 27, 2023. 

In March of this year, Sanjay Singh's party colleague and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was also detained in the same liquor policy fraud case.

According to the ED, Singh and his associates were involved in the Delhi government's decision to grant licences to alcohol shops and merchants in 2020, resulting in losses to the state exchequer and violations of anti-corruption legislation. 

The ED has already searched a number of places, including Sanjay Singh's close colleague Ajit Tyagi's house and office, as well as the residences and offices of other contractors and companies who allegedly benefitted from the programme. The ED has named Sisodia as a major conspirator in the case in its roughly 270-page supplemental charge sheet.

The Delhi liquor scam case, also known as the excise policy case, involves charges that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 permitted cartelisation and benefited some dealers who reportedly paid bribes for it, an allegation that the AAP has fiercely denied. 

The ED filed its first chargesheet in the matter last year. The agency stated that it has conducted over 200 search operations in this matter since filing a FIR in response to a CBI case that was lodged on the suggestion of the Delhi lieutenant governor.

The CBI investigation was ordered based on the findings of the Delhi chief secretary's report, which showed prima facie breaches of the GNCTD Act of 1991, the Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) of 1993, the Delhi Excise Act of 2009, and the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010. 

According to the ED and the CBI, irregularities were committed when changing the Excise Policy, excessive advantages were granted to licence holders, the licencing price was waived or decreased, and the L-1 licence was extended without the consent of the relevant authorities. To avoid discovery, the recipients shifted "illegal" income to the accused authorities and created fake entries in their books of account.