Supreme Court Grants Bail to AAP Leader Manish Sisodia in Liquor Policy Scam
Desk Report, August 09, 2024: In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India granted bail to Manish Sisodia, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, on Friday. This decision pertains to the ongoing corruption and money laundering cases connected to the now-repealed Delhi liquor policy.
The Supreme Court has mandated that Sisodia surrender his passport and refrain from attempting to influence witnesses following his release. This ruling comes after Sisodia has spent 17 months in custody at Tihar Jail.
During the court proceedings, both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) proposed imposing bail conditions similar to those set for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. However, the court rejected this request.
The Supreme Court overturned the trial court’s assessment that Sisodia had impeded the trial process, noting that the extended period of his detention warranted the granting of bail. The court underscored that prolonged imprisonment without trial infringes upon an accused’s fundamental rights and that requiring Sisodia to seek bail from the trial court would constitute an injustice.
Sisodia was initially arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, on allegations of involvement in irregularities related to the Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. He was subsequently arrested by the ED on March 9, 2023, as part of its money laundering investigation connected to the same case. Following his arrest, Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.
