Excise policy case: Delhi court extends Sanjay Singh’s judicial custody by 7 days

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday extended the judicial custody of AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh by 7 days in connection with a money laundering case into the now-scrapped excise policy.

The AAP leader was produced before Special Judge M.K. Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court on expiry of his previously granted 10-day judicial custody.

Last week, the court had issued notice to Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Singh's bail application in the case, and had asked the central probe agency to file a reply by December 6.

The financial probe agency on December 2 filed a supplementary charge sheet against Singh in the case.

On Monday, the judge asked the ED to provide a copy of the supplementary charge sheet to Singh’s lawyer.

As the ED moved an application stating that names of certain protected witnesses were mistakenly mentioned in the supplementary charge sheet, the court then granted permission to the agency to redact the sections containing these names.

It has directed the court staff to keep the file sealed.

As Singh, on the other hand, had accused the ED of leaking details of the charge sheet to the media during the hearing, the judge reviewed a news article provided by Singh and remarked that the information in the report was old.

"There is nothing new in this report. Everything is from the remand papers that were filed by the agency earlier."

The judge has now put up the matter for arguments on December 6.

Earlier, the judge had allowed Singh to sign some documents related to development work as a Member of Parliament. He had directed the authorities concerned to produce him before a court in Punjab after it was informed that a production warrant had been received from a court in Amritsar in a defamation case there.

Judge Nagpal had also allowed Singh to sign certain cheques as he requested to do so for his family expenses, and other work he is obliged to do as a Member of Parliament. The jail authorities concerned were directed to ensure proper treatment to Singh, including from his private doctor.

"Court sees no reason to refuse private treatment to the accused. Hence, the jail superintendent concerned is directed to ensure the appropriate treatment," the judge had said.

Singh, who had moved the Delhi High Court against his arrest and remand, was denied any relief as Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma dismissed his plea calling it premature. Singh then moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order that upheld his arrest and remand by the ED.

The financial probe agency on October 4 arrested Singh, under Sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), after carrying out searches at his residence in the North Avenue area.