The Rouse Avenue court on Saturday allowed AAP MP Sanjay Singh to take oath as MP Rajya Sabha on February 5, 2024, in custody. He has been arrested and charge-sheeted in the Delhi Excise Policy money laundering case.Meanwhile, the court extended the judicial custody of Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh till February 17. Both were produced physically before the court.Special Judge M. K. Nagpal allowed Sanjay Singh’s request to allow him to take oath in judicial custody.He withdrew the plea, seeking interim bail to attend the ongoing Parliament session and to take the oath. It was submitted that he has to appear before a court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on February 7.
Advocates Rajat Bhardwaj, Dr Farrukh Khan and Prakash Priydarshi appeared for Sanjay Singh.
During the hearing, advocate Tanveer Ahmed Mir, counsel for Amandeep Singh Dhall, submitted that he had received CCTV footage without audio supplied.It was also submitted that the footage contains a confrontation between Dinesh Arora and Amandeep Singh Dhall in March 2023 but it is without audio. Tanveer Ahmed Mir has again submitted that the CCTV footage with audio be provided.He also submitted that some allegations were levelled by Dinesh Arora on April 23, 2023, three days before the filing of the prosecution complaint against Dhall. These allegations were not made in March 2023.
He also referred to the Supreme Court judgement in Paramveer Saini, where it was directed that all investigation agencies shall have CCTV cameras with video and audio facilities installed.
Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj moved an application seeking a supply of statements recorded before the court, including those of Raghav Magunta and P Sharat Reddy. Their statements were recorded and given a pardon; now their statements are under unrelied documents.
The court noted that an application seeking CCTV footage of Dinesh Arora and Sharat Reddy was also filed, but reply not filed.
An application seeking a direction to place a record of the emails written by accused Dhall to ED is also filed. All these applications will be heard on the next date of hearing.
The court, on December 19, took cognizance of the supplementary prosecution complaint (charge sheet) filed against AAP MP Sanjay Singh and his Associate Sarvesh Mishra.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 2, filed a supplementary prosecution complaint (charge sheet) against Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and his alleged associate Sarvesh Mishra in a money laundering case related to the Excise policy case.
On October 4, AAP MP Sanjay Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate.
Earlier, a charge sheet was filed against Manish Sisodia. According to the Enforcement Directorate, it’s a fifth supplementary chargesheet in the case. This case is presently at the stage of scrutiny of documents.
ED earlier told the court that Sanjay Singh was part of the conspiracy to collect kickbacks from liquor groups in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
Sanjay Singh allegedly had close relations with now approver Dinesh Arora, who allegedly introduced accused Amit Arora to Sanjay Singh
Dinesh Arora was in regular touch with Sanjay Singh. This has been proven by an analysis of Call Detail Records. Singh allegedly received proceeds of crime of Rs 2 crore, stated the ED.
ED earlier claimed that Singh and his associates played a part in the Delhi government’s decision to give licenses to alcohol shops and merchants in 2020, causing losses to the state exchequer and violating anti-corruption laws
ED had previously searched a number of locations, including the homes and offices of Sanjay Singh’s close associate, Ajit Tyagi and other contractors and businessmen who allegedly benefited from the policy. In its nearly 270-page supplementary charge sheet, the ED has called Sisodia a key conspirator in the case.
The Delhi liquor scam case or the excise policy case pertains to allegations that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 allowed cartelization and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge that has been strongly refuted by the AAP.
Last year, ED filed its first chargesheet in the case. The agency said it has so far undertaken over 200 search operations in this case after filing an FIR after taking cognizance of a CBI case that was registered on the recommendation of the Delhi lieutenant governor.
The CBI inquiry was recommended based on the findings of the Delhi chief secretary’s report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010.
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