New Delhi: The Supreme Court today granted bail to Manish Sisodia, a prominent leader of the Aam Aadmi Party and former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, after he spent 17 months in custody related to charges from the Delhi excise policy case.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan ordered Sisodia’s release on a Rs 2 lakh bond and mandated the surrender of his passport. This ruling comes in contrast to the Delhi High Court’s previous decision, which had denied him bail. Sisodia was initially arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation and subsequently by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of money laundering connected to the CBI’s findings.
The Supreme Court highlighted the excessive delay in the trial process, asserting that it compromised Sisodia’s fundamental right to a speedy trial and dismissed the prosecution’s claim that the delays were self-induced by Sisodia’s legal maneuvers.