ED seeks 5-day extension of Sanjay Singh’s remand in Delhi liquor policy case

New Delhi [India]: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday sought a 5-day extension of the remand for Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in the alleged Delhi liquor policy case.

Earlier in the day, Singh was brought to Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court for a hearing in the case.

The central agency told the court that Singh was not cooperating with the investigation and further requested an extension of his custody for five days.

ED said that the material collected during the investigation shows that a bribe was taken to give liquor licences.

The agency said that it had recorded the statement of a businessman. But can’t disclose the content of the statement. The businessmen who examined were not confronted with the accused.

Sanjay Singh was arrested on October 4, after a day-long questioning by the ED officials at his Delhi residence.

Later, on October 5, the Court sent Sanjay Singh to remand till October 10, 2023, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

Coming out in support of Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted that the entire liquor scam is based on unfounded and trumped-up charges adding that the agencies carried out multiple raids on party leaders but couldn’t find a shred of evidence linking them to the case.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, CM Kejriwal said, “They probed us over so many months, did anything come out of it? You heard what the Supreme Court observed yesterday, the entire liquor scam is false, not even a penny changed hands. They do not have any evidence. The charges against us are all trumped up and baseless.”

Allegedly, Sanjay Singh’s party colleague and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is also involved in the same liquor policy scam. He is currently lodged in jail in connection with the same. The former Delhi Deputy CM and excise minister was first arrested by the CBI on February 26 for his alleged role in the scam.

The case connects with claims that Singh and his partners 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 so far filed five charge sheets in the case, including against Sisodia.