ED opposes Sanjay Singh's bail plea in excise policy case

New Delhi, Dec 10: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday strongly opposed the bail plea of AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy case.

The ED, during a hearing at Rouse Avenue Court, argued that the documents recovered from Singh were not part of the judicial record, highlighting his perceived influence.

Special Judge MK Nagpal adjourned the hearing, scheduling the next session for December 12, where the defence counsel will present their counter-arguments. Advocates Zoheb Hossain and Naveen Kumar Matta represented the ED during the proceedings.

In response, Sanjay Singh, through his legal representatives, appealed to the court for his release, asserting that the investigation against him had already concluded.

His counsels emphasised that Singh's continued detention served no purpose, especially considering the filing of a charge sheet by the Enforcement Directorate, signaling the end of their inquiry.

The defence argued that further custodial interrogation was unnecessary, presenting the view that Singh's detention lacked justification.

However, the ED countered, asserting that the investigation was underway.

They expressed apprehension that granting bail to Singh might impede the ongoing probe, potentially leading to tampering with evidence and influencing witnesses.

During the bail application hearing, the ED presented the fifth supplementary prosecution complaint against Singh. However, the document remained sealed due to pending decisions regarding the protection of the identity of one prosecution witness under the Witness Protection Scheme. To maintain confidentiality, the judge ordered the supplementary complaint to be sealed, with a copy filed on record using a pseudonym for the witness.

According to ED sources, the financial probe agency filed a 60-page charge sheet against Singh in the court.

The ED sources said that in its chargesheet the agency has alleged that Singh was involved in conspiracy, money laundering and helping the accused.

The ED has also named one more person as accused in the chargesheet, however, they have not revealed the name so far.

On October 4, the ED had arrested Singh in connection with its probe into the now scrapped excise policy case following day-long searches at his residence here.

Singh's arrest was the second big arrest in the case after former Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia.