New Delhi [India], February 4 : The Rouse Avenue court on Tuesday reserved its order on the plea of AAP MP Sanjay Singh seeking modification of bail condition and release of a diplomatic passport.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja reserved the order after hearing submissions of counsel for the applicant and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court will pronounce the order on February 18.
Meanwhile, the court has asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to apprise it of how much time it is required to supply the translated copies of documents.
During the hearing, Advocate Dr Farrukh Khan alongwith Changez Khan appeared for Sanjay Singh. It was submitted that Sanjay Singh needs to travel both domestically and internationally. He is required to inform the investigating officer if he travels even within the Delhi NCR area. He has sent 160 emails to the investigating officer, but he has not received any queries in response.
It was also submitted that Sanjay Singh has a diplomatic passport. He can't travel abroad without political clearance.
On the other hand, the Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s special counsel Zoheb Hossain opposed the plea. He said that given his past conduct, the accused is not entitled to any special treatment. Confidential documents related to the investigation were found in his possession.
On January 18, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay moved an application seeking modification of bail condition and release of his diplomatic passport.
While granting bail the court had directed Sanjay Singh to inform to Investigation officer about his itinerary in writing before leaving Delhi NCR. His passport was also deposited. Singh was granted bail by the Supreme Court vide its Order dated April 2, 2024.
On April 3, 2024, while accepting the bail bonds of Singh, the Rouse Avenue court imposed certain conditions. One of these conditions is that he must provide his detailed itinerary in writing to the investigating officer of the case in advance if he plans to leave the National Capital Territory of Delhi for any reason.
It is stated that in his capacity as a politician and spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party, he frequently needs to travel across various parts of the country to fulfil his social and political responsibilities.
It was submitted that due to the specific condition requiring him to share his detailed itinerary in advance has posed significant logistical challenges. Due to the dynamic nature of his engagements and the need for impromptu travel to address urgent matters, this condition has restricted his ability to respond promptly to the requests of ordinary citizens.
It is further stated that being an active political and social activist, who is frequently invited to participate in various international events, conferences, and forums dedicated to public welfare and global discourse in addition to his family commitments given the peculiar fact that the Applicant's younger brother resides in the United States.
However, Sanjay Singh is unable to accept or respond to such invitations, as his passport remains in the custody of the Court, thereby restricting his ability to travel as and when it is required, the plea stated.