The Supreme Court on Monday sought a detailed response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after hearing the bail plea of jailed Rajya Sabha member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Singh allegedly involved in a money laundering case relating to the Delhi excise policy scam.
A two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, during the course of the hearing today, also tagged Singh's fresh bail plea, with his earlier one challenging his arrest and remand in the case.
The new petition will be heard on March 5 along with his earlier pending petition, the apex court today said in its order.
The Delhi High Court had earlier denied bail to Singh after noting that prima facie, he seemed to be involved in the offences, forcing him to knock the doors of the apex court for bail.
Singh was arrested by the ED on October 4, last year, after it conducted a search at his residence. He has been in judicial custody since October 13 and have never been granted bail by any court.
He, however, claimed innocence in the case.
The Delhi High Court on October 20 had also rejected Singh's plea challenging his arrest on the ground that it was an abuse of the legal process and in violation of the Supreme Court’s verdict.
In January, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Singh's bail plea, saying that the plea was “premature” and the ED investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Singh then had moved the Supreme Court, which is now seized of the matter.
As per the probe agency, Singh has been part of the criminal conspiracy of allegedly collecting kickbacks from liquor groups in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
The agency further said that Singh has a close relationship with liquor businessman Dinesh Arora, a key witness who was earlier accused by the CBI and the ED and later turned approver in the case, since 2017 as revealed by the latter as well as from his call records.
Singh’s associates Vivek Tyagi, Ajit Tyagi, and Sarvesh Mishra also had a close relationship with Dinesh Arora, the ED says.
Singh had allegedly received proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 2 crores in the liquor scam on two occasions, the ED said.