Court grants regular bail to Sarvesh Mishra in Delhi Excise Policy case

New Delhi: A Delhi courton Wednesday granted regular bail to Sarvesh Mishra, who was chargesheeted alongside AAP MP Sanjay Singh in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged Excise Policy scam.

Special Judge MK Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court pronounced the order on Mishra’s bail plea after having it reserved on January 20, and granted him regular bail upon furnishing a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh.

Notably, Mishra was not arrested during the investigation and was already out on interim bail.

Previously, Mishra had been summoned and directed to appear before the court.

In his application against the summons, Mishra had claimed that since he was not arrested during the investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), no purpose would be served by sending him to jail after the charge sheet had already been filed by the agency on completion of the probe.

Last time, the ED did not oppose his bail application during the arguments. Earlier, interim bail was granted to Mishra until the disposal of his regular bail application.

The court had allowed time for the ED to file a fresh list of unrelied documents related to the case.

Appearing for Mishra, advocate Farrukh Khan argued saying that the provisions of Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) did not apply to Mishra, who was not arrested during the investigation, and a charge sheet had been filed without arrest.

On December 19 last year, the court took cognizance of the supplementary prosecution complaint (charge sheet) filed against Mishra.

The ED, on October 4, 2023, had arrested MP Sanjay Singh in connection with the case, marking the fifth supplementary charge sheet. On January 20, the same court extended the judicial custody of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh until February 3.

Both leaders were presented before the court through video-conference on the expiry of their previously extended judicial custody.

Singh and Sisodia were not presented physically in court because of security reasons and a lack of police personnel due to Republic Day preparations.

On January 11, the AAP MP had moved the Delhi High Court, seeking bail in the money laundering case in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. The move came after Judge Nagpal had, on December 22, dismissed Singh's bail plea.