Delhi excise policy case: Indian Supreme Court grants bail to Manish Sisodia

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was on Friday (Aug 9) granted bail by the Indian Supreme Court in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. Sisodia will walk out of jail after 17 months.

The Supreme Court granted bail to Sisodiain cases probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy.

The bail conditions

According to a report by Bar and Bench, the bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan said, "Appeal allowed. Delhi High Court order is quashed and set aside. He is granted bail in both ED and CBI cases."

The report said that Sisodia has to furnish $2,383 (INR 2 lakh)as bail bonds. The Supreme Court directed the former deputy chief minister would also have tosurrender his passport and report to the police station as bail conditions.

Right to speedy trial deprived

The top court observed that Sisodiahas been deprived of the right to speedy trial. Right to speedy trial is a sacrosanct right.

"Recently in the Javed Gulam Nabi Shaikh case we dealt with this angle and we noted that when court, state or agency cannot protect the right to speedy trial, then bail cannot be opposed saying that crime is serious. Article 21 applies irrespective of the nature of the crime," the court observed.

The court said that there was no remote possibility of completion of trial within time and that keeping him behind bars for the purpose of completion of the trial would be nothing but a violation of Article 21.

"Sisodia has deep roots in society and he cannot flee away or face trial Regarding tampering evidence, the case largely depends on documentation and thus it is all seized and no chance of tampering," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)