AAP leader Sanjay Singh walks out of Tihar jail after nearly 6 months

Sanjay Singh was granted bail by the Supreme Court after the ED raised no objections

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh was released on Wednesday from Tihar Jail, following the Supreme Court's (SC's) decision to grant him bail in the Delhi excise policy case.

Singh had been in custody since October 2023 after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for a money laundering investigation related to alleged discrepancies in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy.

A large gathering of AAP supporters awaited him outside Tihar Jail, marking his release.

Watch: Sanjay Singh addresses party workers as he walks out of Tihar Jail

#WATCH | Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh addresses party workers as he walks out of Tihar Jail. pic.twitter.com/sfpeZNa9JX

— ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2024

Soon after walking out of Tihar Jail on bail, Singh addressed his supporters and said, "Jashn manane ka waqt nahi aya hai, sangharsh ka waqt hai (The time to celebrate has not yet come, it's a time for struggle).. Our party's senior leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia are being kept behind bars. I have confidence that the locks of the jail will break and they will come out..."

Earlier during the day, a Delhi court instructed Sanjay Singh to refrain from tampering any evidence or influence witnesses in his case.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja also ordered Singh to surrender his passport, notify the court of his travel plans before leaving the National Capital Region (NCR), and to keep his phone's location services active.

The SC bench, consisting of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Dipankar Datta, and P B Varale, approved the bail for the AAP Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament after the ED stated it had no bojections to his release. The bench stated that Singh is permitted to continue his political engagements, but he must avoid making any statements about the ongoing case.

Sanjay Singh's bail comes as a relief for AAP, whose senior leaders, including party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Satyendar Jain, are still in judicial custody. 

 

CM Kejriwal was detained on March 21 by ED. He will remain in custody until April 15. He has raised concerns about the timing of his arrest, arguing that it violates principles of the Constitution, such as ensuring free and fair elections and maintaining a level playing field.

Watch: Why has AAP's Sanjay Singh been granted bail?