Relief After 17 Months: Manish Sisodia Gets Bail With 4 Conditions in Delhi Excise Policy Case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection in corruption and money laundering cases linked to alleged Delhi excise policy scam. 

An SC bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan delivered the judgment. While passing the order, Justice Gavai noted that Sisodia had been deprived of right to speedy trial by the high court and trial court.

Justice Gavai said, "Right to speedy trial is a sacrosanct right. Recently in Javed Gulam Nabi Shaikh case we dealt with this angle and we noted that when court, state or agency cannot protect the right to speedy trial then bail cannot be opposed saying that crime is serious. Article 21 applies irrespective of the nature of the crime."

“HC and trial court is playing safe in matters of bail and bail cannot be denied as a matter of punishment..it is high time the courts realise that bail is a rule and jail is an exception,” Justice Gavai added.

The court noted that since 493 witnesses have been named in the case, the possibility of trail commencing soon is slim. 

“In this case, 493 witnesses named. There is not remotest possibility that trial will conclude in recent future. Keeping appellant behind bars for unlimited time will deny fundamental right. Appellant is having deep roots in society. No apprehension of fleeing. Anyway conditions can be imposed,” the top curt noted.

Bail Terms for Sisodia

• Directing the release of Sisodia, the court, however, imposed some conditions bounding him to surrender his passport and to appear before the investigating officer (IO) every Monday. 
• The apex court directed that Sisodia, who has been imprisoned for the last 17 months, be released on bail on personal bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties of like amount.  
• The AAP leader has also been directed to not indulge in activities in order to influence any witness.

Previously, the trial court and the Delhi High Court denied bail to Sisodia. Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023 for the purported irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023. He had resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.