AAP MP Sanjay Singh Gets Bail After 6 Months In Jail In Liquor Policy Case

New Delhi: 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and posed tough questions to the Enforcement Directorate – which had arrested Mr Singh – including asking why he had been jailed for over six months without a trial or recovery of alleged bribe of ₹ 2 crore.

“Nothing has been recovered… there is no trace (of money allegedly received by the AAP as bribes for allotting liquor licences to the ‘South Group’)…” the court told the agency, which claims the party received ₹ 600 crore in bribes.

The court then directed Additional Solicitor General SV Raju to confer with the ED and decide if custody of Mr Singh is warranted at this stage. Mr Singh was released after the Enforcement Directorate said it did not want custody.

“I am making this statement (not opposing bail) without going into the merits of the case and keeping all the rights and contentions open,” Mr Raju said.

The court earlier observed Dinesh Arora, an accused who turned approver, or government witness, did not implicate Mr Singh in his initial statements. Mr Singh was arrested on the basis of statements by Mr Arora, who got bail in August.

Sanjay Singh has been in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since his arrest in October in the alleged liquor policy scam, which has roiled the opposition party – and seen the arrests of Mr Sisodia and his former boss, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – weeks before the election.

Mr Singh was arrested on money laundering charges linked to the alleged scam. 

His earlier bail pleas – including in the Delhi High Court – were turned down; in February, in fact, the High Court said “no ground” for relief had been made.

READ | AAP’s Sanjay Singh’s Bail Plea Rejected In Money Laundering Case

The ED then had opposed the bail plea, alleging Mr Singh was involved in acquiring, possessing, concealing, dissipating and using proceeds of the crime generated from the alleged liquor scam.