sc-grants-bail-to-aap-leader-manish-sisodia

The Supreme Court approved bail for AAP leader Manish Sisodia in corruption and money laundering cases connected to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam on Friday. 

 

This decision was made, noting that he has been in custody for 17 months. 

 

Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, who formed the bench, stated that Sisodia's 17 months in custody had deprived him of the right to a speedy trial, and so it would only be fair to grant him bail rather than relegating him to the trial court for seeking bail in these cases. 

 

The top court also emphasized the importance of recognising that bail is a rule and jail is an exception and directed that Sisodia be released on bail upon the payment of a personal bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties of the like amount. 

 

Sisodia, the former deputy chief minister of Delhi, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023, for alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him on March 9, 2023, in a money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR.

 

He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.

 

Sisodia had sought bail, contending that he has been in custody for 17 months and the trial against him has not yet started.

 

The ED and the CBI had opposed his bail pleas.