The Supreme Court on Wednesday relaxed the bail conditions for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, previously required to report to the investigating officer twice a week in connection with his involvement in the Delhi excise policy corruption and money laundering cases. The bench, comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan, deemed the stringent check-ins unnecessary, maintaining that Sisodia must continue to attend the trial regularly.
This judicial adjustment follows a series of court actions concerning Sisodia, including a November 22 hearing where the Supreme Court agreed to address his plea against the rigorous bail conditions and sought responses from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi had been under considerable scrutiny following his February 2023 arrest by the CBI and subsequent March arrest by the ED, related to allegations of irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-defunct Delhi excise policy for the year 2021-22. Following his arrest, Sisodia resigned from his cabinet position on February 28, 2023.
In its August 9 verdict, which initially granted him bail after 17 months of incarceration without trial, the apex court emphasized the principle that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception,” criticizing the delay in trial commencement. The court had underscored the infringement on Sisodia’s right to a speedy trial, directing him to furnish a Rs 10 lakh bail bond with two like amount sureties, surrender his passport, and refrain from influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.
