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A Delhi court has extended the judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh until November 10 in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam.
During his appearance in the court of Special Judge M.K. Nagpal at Rouse Avenue Court, Mr. Singh, who has been in custody since October 13, requested medical attention due to health issues. The court has directed the jail authorities to ensure he receives proper medical treatment, stating, “The court sees no reason to deny private treatment to the accused… Therefore, the concerned jail superintendent is directed to ensure treatment.”
Additionally, the court granted Mr. Singh permission to sign checks for his family expenses and for his duties as a Member of Parliament. He was also allowed to sign a letter addressed to the Commissioner MCD, in which he demanded the distribution of funds for development works in his parliamentary constituency.
Following the extension of his judicial custody, Mr. Singh, a close associate of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, reaffirmed his commitment to continue challenging the government.
In the First Information Report (FIR) against Mr. Singh, the central investigation agency alleged that he played a key role in formulating and implementing the Delhi liquor policy.
Notably, Mr. Singh is the third senior AAP leader to be arrested in less than a year and a half. Satyendar Jain, the former Delhi Public Works Department Minister, has been held for over a year in an alleged money laundering case. Similarly, Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and AAP leader, was arrested in February 2023 in the same case.
The investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is based on a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation against Manish Sisodia and others on August 17 last year, following a reference from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The case alleges deliberate irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy, including granting undue favors to licensees such as fee waivers and extensions of L-1 licenses without approval. The ED has estimated the alleged “proceeds of crime” in the case to be at least ₹1,934 crore.
