Allowing the appeal, Justice Gavai quashed and set aside the Delhi HC order, granting him bail in both ED and CBI cases.
Pronouncing the verdict, the apex court imposed some conditions, directing Sisodia to surrender his passport and not to influence witnesses.
Manish Sisodia Bail: What Supreme Court Said
The court directed that Manish Sisodia be released on bail on personal bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties of like amount.
Read More: Manish Sisodia Bail Hearing live Updates
It will be a travesty of justice if Sisodia is sent back to trial court again, the Supreme Court said. Sisodia is in custody for 17 months and trial has not yet commenced, and that deprives his right to speedy trial, the court observed.”It is high time that the trial courts and high courts recognise that the principle of bail is a rule and jail is an exception,” the apex court said.A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan, which had reserved its judgement on Sisodia’s pleas on August 6, delivered the verdict. Sisodia, former deputy CM of Delhi, had sought bail on the ground that he has been in custody for 17 months and the trial against him has not yet started.
Delhi Liquor Policy Case against Manish Sisodia
The case pertains to the AAP leader’s pleas seeking bail in the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. His bail plea was opposed by the CBI and the ED.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 for his alleged involvement in the purported irregularities in the excise policy.
The ED arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023. Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.
During the proceedings, the apex court questioned the CBI and ED about when they anticipate concluding these cases, given the extensive investigations. The court noted that there are 493 witnesses across both cases and inquired how much longer the trial would take to complete.
The legal representative for the agencies underlined that there are eight key witnesses in each case filed by the CBI and ED, and refuted Sisodia’s claim that the delay was due to the investigating agencies.
On July 16, the apex court agreed to hear Sisodia’s petitions and requested responses from the CBI and ED. Sisodia had previously approached the apex court, challenging the Delhi High Court’s May 21 decision to deny his bail pleas, which stemmed from a trial court’s April 30 rejection of his bail applications in the two cases.
