The Supreme Court of India announced on Monday that it will hear AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s requests for relaxation of his bail conditions on December 11. Sisodia is currently required to report twice weekly to the investigating officer in connection with the corruption and money laundering cases tied to the Delhi excise policy.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Sisodia, brought up the matter before a bench composed of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan, which promptly agreed to schedule the hearing.
The apex court had previously, on November 22, consented to consider Sisodia’s appeals after issuing notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to submit their responses regarding his applications.
Back on August 9, the Supreme Court had granted Sisodia bail in the corruption and money laundering charges associated with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, emphasizing that the prolonged 17-month incarceration without trial infringed upon his right to a speedy trial. The conditions set for his bail included mandatory appearances before the investigative officer every Monday and Thursday between 10 and 11 AM.
During the November 22 hearing, Singhvi highlighted that Sisodia had adhered to these conditions, reporting to the investigating officers 60 times since his bail. Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. Shortly after, on March 9, he was detained by the ED in a related money laundering case stemming from the CBI’s FIR.
Following his arrests, Sisodia resigned from his cabinet position on February 28, 2023, while consistently denying all allegations against him. In its landmark decision granting him bail, the apex court underlined the principle that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception,” criticizing the delay in starting the trial.
