THE Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in a money laundering case related to the Delhi Excise Policy scam after the Enforcement Directorate said it had no objections, in a reprieve to the party whose top leadership is behind bars. Singh, who has been in jail for six months, was ordered to be released by a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Dipankar Datta and P B Varale. The bench said the AAP leader can continue with his political activities but cannot make any statements with regard to the case.

 

His release comes at a time when the AAP is grappling with a leadership vacuum ahead of the Lok Sabha polls which are set to begin on April 19. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his former Deputy Manish Sisodia are lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with the case. The bench said Singh will remain out on bail during the course of the entire trial and that the terms and conditions for the bail will be fixed by the special court. During the post-lunch session, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, said he has taken instructions from the probe agency and it has no objections if Singh is enlarged on bail.

 

“I am making the statement without going into the merits of the case and keeping all the rights and contentions open,” he said. Taking note of the statement, the bench ordered, “In the morning session ASG SV Raju was asked to obtain instructions. He states they have no objections if Sanjay Singh is released on bail in proceedings arising out of the FIR… In view of the statement made, we allow the present appeal and direct that Sanjay Singh be released on bail during pendency of trial on terms and conditions set by the trial court.” The bench said the concession of bail granted to Singh will not be treated as “precedent”. Consequently this bail order may not be of much help to other jailed Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including Kejriwal. Big day for democracy: AAP The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in a money-laundering case linked to the Excise Policy case, calling it “big day for democracy in the country and a moment of hope”.