Delhi Excise Case: After 6 Months in Jail, SC Grants Bail to AAP Leader Sanjay Singh

New Delhi: After six months in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who was arrested by the ED (Enforcement Directorate) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act).

The bail comes amid a crisis within AAP wherein Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain, and some others have been arrested and put behind bars in connection with the case. Kejriwal was arrested last week amid election campaign for the Lok Sabha, leading to widespread protests. He has been sent to judicial custody till April 15.

Singh’s bail was granted by a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Dipankar Datta and Prasanna B Varale, who ordered his release after ED said it no longer required his custody.

According to Bar & Bench, the ED’s ‘concession favouring Singh's release was prompted by a remark made earlier by the top court.”

As per Section 45 of the PMLA, a court can release the accused only if satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of the offence and that he is not likely to commit any offence while on bail, the report said, adding that the court asked the ED to consider “the repercussions any observations favouring Singh may have on the overall case, especially the trial.”

"Mr Raju, please keep in mind we have to as per Section 45 observe in favour of the petitioner, please understand the implications of that during trial. So, get instructions on whether you need further custody," it remarked, said the Bar & Bench report.

The bench also pointed out that businessman Dinesh Arora, the accused-turned-approver, in his initial statements “had not implicated Singh.”

The AAP leader was represented by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who also pointed out that the allegations made by businessman Arora, who turned approver, had not been corroborated by any eye-witness, according to Indian Express.

Singh is the first among the jailed AAP leaders to have been released on bail. Sisodia has been in jail for over a year and Jain for about two years. Singh was arrested on October 4, 2023 in an alleged money laundering case related to the now scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy.

The news of Singh’s release comes as a relief to AAP, which is battling legal cases amid the Lok Sabha election campaign.

On Sunday, the Opposition INDIA bloc had held a massive rally protesting the BJP government’s misuse of central agencies against its political rivals and the arrest two sitting CMs—Kejriwal and Hemant Soren (who resigned) of Jharkhand.

Welcoming Singh’s bail, AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi, posted "satyameva jayate", or "the truth will win", on X (formerly Twitter).

Atishi, along with Saurabh Bharadwaj, has been leading AAP's protests against Kejriwal’s and other party leaders’ arrest.

On Tuesday morning, Atishi held a press conference and claimed that she and three senior AAP leaders could also be arrested by the ED in connection with the liquor policy case. She alleged they were “approached” and warned of arrest if they "do not join the Bharatiya Janata Party."