Delhi excise policy scam: Court reserves order on bail plea of accused Sarvesh Mishra
Jan 20, 2024
New Delhi [India], January 20 : The Rouse Avenue court on Saturday reserved an order on the plea of accused Sarvesh Mishra.
He has been charge-sheeted with AAP MP Sanjay Singh in the Delhi Excise policy money laundering case. He was not arrested during the investigation and is out on interim bail.
Special judge M K Nagpal reserved an order on the bail plea for January 24 after hearing the arguments of his counsel. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) did not oppose his bail application.
Meanwhile, the Court extended the judicial custody of AAP MP Sanjay Singh and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia till February 3, 2024. They were produced through video conferencing from Tihar Jail.
The court has also reserved the order on bail of Amit Arora for January 24, 2024.
The court has granted time to accused persons to apply for inspection of unrelied documents in three days.
On January 10, 2024, the court granted interim bail to Sarvesh Mishra till the disposal of his regular bail application.
Advocate Dr. Farrukh Khan, counsel for Sarvesh Mishra furnished the bail bond of Rs. One lakh and one surety in the like amount.
Dr Farrukh Khan argued on the regular bail application of Sarvesh Mishra and submitted that the rigours of section 45 of PMLA do not apply in the case of applicant Sarvesh Mishra. He was not arrested during the investigation and a charge sheet has been filed without arrest.
Earlier, Mishra was summoned and directed to appear before the court. However, he could not appear on the last date due to the hospitalisation of his father who is suffering from cancer.
The investigating officer (IO) filed a compliance report under a direction to the ED to file a fresh list of unrelied documents related to the case.
Court on December 19, took cognizance of the supplementary prosecution Complaint (charge sheet) filed against AAP MP Sanjay Singh and his Associates Sarvesh Mishra.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 2, filed a supplementary prosecution complaint (Chargesheet) against Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and his alleged associate Sarvesh Mishra in a money laundering case related to the Excise policy case.
On 4th October, AAP MP Sanjay Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, it's a fifth supplementary chargesheet in the case. This case is presently at the stage of scrutiny of documents.
ED earlier told the court that Sanjay Singh was part of the conspiracy to collect kickbacks from liquor groups in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22
Sanjay Singh allegedly had close relations with now approver Dinesh Arora who allegedly introduced accused Amit Arora to Sanjay Singh. Dinesh Arora was in regular touch with Sanjay Singh. This has been proved by analysis of Call Detail Records. Singh allegedly received proceeds of crime of Rs 2 crores, stated the ED.
ED earlier claimed that Singh and his associates played a part in the Delhi government's decision to give licenses to alcohol shops and merchants in 2020, causing losses to the state exchequer and violating anti-corruption laws.
ED had previously searched several locations including the homes and offices of Sanjay Singh's close associate Ajit Tyagi and other contractors and businessmen who allegedly benefited from the policy. In its nearly 270-page supplementary charge sheet, the ED has called Sisodia a key conspirator in the case.
The Delhi liquor scam case or the excise policy case pertains to allegations that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 allowed cartelization and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge that has been strongly refuted by the AAP.
ED last year filed its first chargesheet in the case. The agency said it has so far undertaken over 200 search operations in this case after filing an FIR after taking cognizance of a CBI case which was registered on the recommendation of the Delhi lieutenant governor.
The CBI inquiry was recommended on the findings of the Delhi chief secretary's report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010.
