Court asks Tihar officials to take Sanjay Singh to Rajya Sabha for oath

A Delhi court has directed Tihar Jail officials to take Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh, who was arrested in the Delhi excise policy case, to Parliament on Tuesday to enable him to take oath as a Rajya Sabha member.

Special judge M.K. Nagpal directed the jail superintendent to ensure adequate security during Singh's movement. "The jail superintendent concerned is directed to ensure that accused is taken to Parliament on 19.03.2024 under adequate security for the purpose of making and subscribing of oath as a Member and after the oath, he is also brought back to the jail safely," the judge said.

In an order passed on 16 March, the judge said during the visit, Singh will not be permitted to use a mobile phone or speak to any other accused, suspect or witness in this case, or in a connected case being conducted by the CBI.

He shall also not be permitted to address the press or hold any public meeting, judge Nagpal said. However, he may be permitted to meet his counsel as well as his family members during the visit, the judge said.

He passed the order while granting Singh exemption from personal appearance before the court on 19 March, when the case is listed for further hearing.

Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, and is presently in judicial custody. The ED began its investigation based on a CBI case, and is probing the money laundering part of the alleged scam.

It is alleged in the CBI case that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy to extend undue favours to licence-holders; the licence fee was waived or reduced, and the L-1 licence (granted for the wholesale supply of Indian liquor) was extended without approval from the competent authority.

The beneficiaries allegedly diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.