Nearly six months after his arrest, Rajya Sabha MP and AAP leader Sanjay Singh walked out of Delhi’s Tihar Jail on Wednesday night, following the Supreme Court order after the Enforcement Directorate conceded that it has no objections. After his release from Tihar, Singh said it was not a time to celebrate but to struggle as scores of party workers gathered to greet him.
A large number of AAP supporters assembled outside the jail and raised the slogans of “dekho dekho kaun aaya, sher aaya, sher aaya” and “Sanjay Singh zinadabad”. The Rajya Sabha member was garlanded amidst sloganeering by AAP workers. Delhi cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak were also present outside the jail. There was a heavy security presence outside the jail in view of his release. Singh climbed atop his vehicle as supporters jostled to greet him.
“This is time for struggle. Arvind Kejriwal zindabad. Our jailed leaders will also come out soon. This is not time for celebration but time for struggle. Jail ke taale tutenge, hamare saare neta chhutenge (Jail locks will break and all our leaders will come out),” he said. After his release, Singh left for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence to meet his wife Sunita.
Earlier, Singh was admitted to the ILBS Hospital in Vasant Kunj. Around 1.30 pm, after being discharged from the hospital, he was taken back to Tihar jail for completing the bail formalities. On Tuesday, Singh had gone to ILBS for a regular checkup but got admitted. He got the news of his bail when he was in the hospital. After being discharged from the hospital, Singh went to Tihar Jail.
Singh had been lodged in the high-security prison in the national capital since October 13, 2023. He came out through the gate number three. Jail officials said he was released after the completion of bail procedure.
The AAP leader, was discharged from ILBS hospital on Wednesday following the order of his release. According to the officials of ILBS hospital, he was admitted to the hospital for a liver-related issue and received the news of his bail during his stay. “Singh was admitted to the hospital for a liver-related issue. He was at the hospital for 24 hours. He had gone to ILBS for a regular checkup but got admitted. He got the news of his bail when he was in the hospital,” a hospital official said.
Earlier in the day, a city court directed AAP leader Sanjay Singh not to tamper with evidence or influence witnesses in the Excise “scam” case. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja passed the directions before passing an order to release Singh from Tihar central jail following bail granted to him by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The judge also directed Singh to submit passport, inform it about itinerary before leaving NCR, and to always keep his phone location on. During the brief hearing, Singh’s counsel informed the court that the politician’s wife would be surety for the accused in the matter. “I (Singh) am the Member of Parliament. There is no flight risk,” the counsel told the court. The judge directed the accused to submit a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and one surety of same amount.
