In the alleged Delhi liquor policy case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) made a request for a 5-day extension of Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh’s remand on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Singh appeared in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court for a hearing related to the case.
During the court proceedings, the central agency informed the court about Singh’s lack of cooperation in the ongoing investigation and sought an additional five days of custody for him. The ED presented evidence indicating that bribes were allegedly taken in exchange for granting liquor licenses.
The agency mentioned that it had recorded the statement of a businessman but was unable to disclose the content of the statement. The individuals providing statements had not been confronted with the accused.
Sanjay Singh had been taken into custody on October 4, following an extensive interrogation by ED officials at his residence in Delhi. Subsequently, on October 5, the court extended his remand until October 10, 2023, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed his support for Sanjay Singh, asserting that the entire liquor scam was based on unsubstantiated and false charges. Kejriwal criticized the multiple raids conducted by agencies on party leaders and emphasized the lack of evidence linking them to the case. He stated, “They probed us for so many months and did anything substantial 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 concocted and groundless.”
It is alleged that Sanjay Singh’s party colleague and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, is also implicated in the same liquor policy scam and is currently incarcerated in connection with it. Sisodia, who served as the former Delhi Deputy CM and excise minister, was initially arrested by the CBI on February 26 in relation to his alleged role in the scam.
The case revolves around allegations that Singh and his associates played a role in the Delhi government’s decision to grant licenses to liquor shops and vendors in 2020, resulting in financial losses to the state exchequer and potential violations of anti-corruption laws. To date, the ED has filed five charge sheets in the case, including one against Sisodia.
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