Excise Case: Delhi court extends judicial custody of Sanjay Singh till November 10, allows private treatment

The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday extended the Judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party leader and MP Sanjay Singh till November 10 next month in connection with the alleged liquor scam case. He was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case. Singh had moved an application seeking directions to jail authorities to ensure adequate medical treatment and to allow him to continue regular treatment from his private doctor. Noting the submissions, the court said, Singh deserves adequate treatment which may not be possible from jail hence he be permitted to consult his eye specialist. The court said it did not see any reason to reject Singh’s permission to seek private treatment. The court further directed that no supporter of the accused be allowed near him in order to prevent any unnecessary trouble to patients of eye centres. The court also allowed Sanjay Singh to sign two cheques for the purpose of meeting family expenses and also permitted him to sign two letters addressed to the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in connection with the release of the transfer of funds. On the last date of the hearing, the same court had warned Singh not to give a political speech here in the courtroom and said, “If such speeches are made, the court will direct his production through video conferencing”. The judge made the remark after Singh claimed before the court that the ED didn’t work on his complaint given to the agency “against Adani”. No unrelated matter. If you want to give a speech on Adani and Modi. I’ll ask for production through video conferencing from now onwards," the judge said. The Delhi High Court had recently dismissed the plea of Sanjay Singh challenging his arrest in the Delhi Liquor scam case and also challenged the remand granted by the trial court. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 4 this year had arrested Singh after a day-long questioning by the ED officials at his Delhi residence. ED 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 has 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 cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge that has been strongly refuted by the AAP. ED, last year 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 cognisance of a CBI case which was registered on the recommendation of the Delhi lieutenant governor. The CBI inquiry was recommended 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. The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval. The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.