NEW DELHI: AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Saturday argued that “no purpose will be served” by keeping him in further custody in an ED-registered case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam while the Central agency claimed that there is evidence of “bribe demand” in the money laundering case.
Arguing before Special Judge M K Nagpal at Rouse Avenue Court in the city during the hearing of Singh’s bail application, special counsel Zoheb Hossain, representing the agency, said the probe was ongoing and if released on bail, the AAP leader could hamper the investigation and tamper with the evidence as well as influence the witnesses.
“The ED has already filed its chargesheet against me after the completion of the investigation. I’m not required for the custodial interrogation any further. There is no purpose of keeping me in further custody,” Sanjay Singh’s counsel submitted before the high court.
During the hearing on the bail application, the recently filed fifth supplementary prosecution complaint was taken out from a sealed envelope. The court directed that it should be kept closed as a question of protection of the identity of one of the prosecution witnesses is pending decision before the Competent Committee under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018.
“For the sake of convenience, a copy of the said supplementary complaint has been filed on record today on behalf of ED using a pseudo name for the said witness in above said complaint at different places,” the court directed. The court will take up the matter again on December 12.
Singh, the second high-profile leader after former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was arrested on October 4 from his residence following a day-long raid and hours of questioning as part of the money laundering probe.
HC dismissed his bail plea in October
Earlier in October, the high court had dismissed Singh’s bail application, saying plea is “premature” and the ED investigation is ongoing into the matter. The Supreme Court, last month, sought responses from the Centre and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Singh’s plea against his arrest and remand by the central agency.