Manish Sisodia gets bail after 17 months in CBI-ED case
Former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Friday (August 9). Sisodia has been lodged in Tihar Jail for 17 months. Sisodia has got relief in both CBI and ED cases related to the Delhi liquor policy scam.
CBI arrested Sisodia on February 26, 2023 in a corruption case. ED arrested him on March 9, 2023 in a money laundering case. He resigned from the post of minister on February 28, 2023.
The Supreme Court, while giving its verdict, said – More than 400 witnesses and thousands of documents have been presented in the case so far. There is no possibility of the case ending in the coming days. In such a situation, keeping Sisodia in custody would violate his fundamental right to freedom.
Sisodia is expected to come out of jail by this evening. The order copy of the Supreme Court will be sent to the Rouse Revenue Court. There Sisodia will have to fill a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh each. Then the release order will be sent to Tihar Jail.
The Supreme Court had reserved the decision on August 6
A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan has pronounced the verdict on Sisodia’s bail. The bench had reserved its verdict three days ago on August 6. On June 4, the Supreme Court had refused to grant bail to Sisodia. After he had filed a petition to reconsider the bail.
Before pronouncing the verdict today, the Supreme Court informed about the proceedings done so far regarding the bail. The court said that sending Sisodia back to the trial court and the High Court would be like putting him in a game of snakes and ladders. A citizen cannot be forced to wander here and there.
The bench said, ‘Immediate hearing of the case is the right of the people. Bail cannot be opposed by saying that the crime is serious. Every day matters in terms of freedom. 13 applications were filed in the CBI case and 14 in the ED case. All these applications were accepted by the lower court.’
