The Supreme Court granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in cases registered by central agencies against him in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam. The Court observed Sisodia was deprived of the right to speedy trial in the case hence the bail.
Hearing the AAP leader’s pleas seeking bail in cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the alleged excise policy scam, the Court observed that Sisodia faced a long incarceration of around 17 months. The SC said it is granting bail since there is not even a remote chance of trial completing soon in the case.
A bench of justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan observed Sisodia was not a flight-risk and he can’t tamper with evidence as they are documentary in nature.”We find that on account of long incarceration running around 17 months and trial having not been commenced, the appellant has been deprived of the right to speedy trial,” Live Law reported quoting the bench.
The CBI arrested Sisodia on February 26 last year for the purported irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22. The ED arrested him in a connected money laundering case, stemming from the CBI FIR, on March 9, 2023. Sisodia tendered his resignation from the Delhi cabinet on February 28 last year.
Both the central agencies opposed the bail plea. The SC said restrictions can be imposed to prevent Sisodia from influencing witnesses. However, the Court rejected the agencies' plea to restrict Sisodia from visiting the office.
Besides Sisodia, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, BRS leader K. Kavitha are facing charges in the case.