Delhi liquor case: ED seeks 5-day extension on Sanjay Singh’s remand

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday sought a 5-day extension of Sanjay Singh’s detention in the accused Delhi liquor policy case. Earlier in the day, Singh was hauled before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court for a hearing in the case. The central agency informed the court that Singh was not helping with the inquiry and demanded a five-day extension of his custody. According to the ED, the evidence gathered throughout the inquiry reveals that a bribe was paid to obtain liquor licenses.

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.”

Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh’s party colleague and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, is allegedly also involved in the same liquor policy scandal. He is currently incarcerated in connection with the same. The CBI detained the former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Excise Minister on February 26 for his suspected role in the scandal.

The lawsuit is linked to allegations that Singh and his associates were involved in the Delhi government’s decision to grant licenses to alcohol outlets and merchants in 2020, resulting in losses to the state exchequer and violations of anti-corruption legislation. The ED has filed five charge sheets in the investigation so far, including one against Sisodia.