Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday sent AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh to judicial custody till October 27. Sanjay Singh was arrested on October 4 by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case after the central agency conducted a raid at his house on North Avenue.
Earlier on Friday, Sanjay Singh moved the Delhi High Court to challenge his arrest in the money laundering case related to the alleged irregularities in the Delhi liquor policy. Singh also contested his previous remand by the trial court.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula will preside over the hearing on Friday itself. Singh's legal counsel said that the AAP leader was not properly informed of the grounds for his arrest.
Earlier this week, a special court extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of Sanjay Singh until October 13. Sanjay Singh is now the third AAP leader to have been arrested by a central agency in the past 17 months, following the arrests of Delhi minister Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain.
AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair also faced arrest in September 2022 in connection to the liquor policy case. In April, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was subjected to nearly nine hours of questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
During the remand application hearing, special public prosecutor NK Matta, representing the ED, alleged that Rs 2 crore was paid in cash to Singh. The ED claimed that an employee of Dinesh Arora, an accused in the case turned approver, delivered Rs 2 crore to Singh's house on two occasions.
According to the ED, Singh played a pivotal role in the formulation and execution of the excise policy, allegedly designed to benefit specific liquor manufacturers and wholesalers.
Kejriwal termed the liquor policy case "completely false" and asserted that investigative agencies lack substantial evidence and that the accusations are baseless. "They probed us so much, did anything come out? They couldn't find a single paisa," Kejriwal stated.
The ED and CBI began investigations into the liquor policy following a recommendation by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, based on a report by the Delhi chief secretary. While the CBI is probing corruption allegations, the ED is focused on the money laundering aspect of the case.