The Supreme Court of India directed the release of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on bail during the pendency of trial in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy case. The court passed the judgement while hearing Singh's plea challenging his arrest and remand in the case. Since the Enforcement Directorate did not oppose the bail, Singh was granted bail obviating the need for a detailed judgement. The AAP leaders hailed the verdict as a victory for the party and a defeat for the BJP-ruled Centre. 


Saurabh Bhardwaj, Atishi Hold Press Conference


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Addressing a press conference, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the SC's verdict exposes the hollowness of the case filed by the ED and scripted in the BJP office. "The Supreme Court asked ED how can it be accepted that a person gave 11 statements, you did not accept his 10 statements and accepted 1 statement which was against Sanjay Singh and put him in jail. The Supreme Court also asked whether any money was recovered or attached. ED has no answer to this." Bhardwaj further said that the Supreme Court noted that no money trail was found no recovery was made in the case. 


Delhi Minister Atishi said that in the last two years, AAP leaders have been framed and arrested in false cases. "During the court proceedings of Sanjay Singh's bail petition today, two important things have come to light. First, when the Supreme Court asked ED the whereabouts of the money trail, ED had no answer... Second, the entire case of this so-called Excise Policy Scam with the ED is based on statements given by approvers. The first few statements given by these approvers were not considered because they did not name AAP leaders. They were pressurised and arrested till they did not name our party leaders," said Atishi.


BJP Hits Back


Reacting to the AAP's claim, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "...This bail has been granted when the ED has not opposed the bail of Sanjay Singh...From today onwards, the AAP cannot claim that any of the agencies particularly the ED or the CBI is indulging in any kind of vendetta politics." He also said that if the bail means innocence for the AAP, then the AAP is itself accepting that its top leaders who are not getting bail are guilty in the case.