Excise Policy Cases: SC Relaxes Manish Sisodia's Bail Conditions

The Supreme Court on Wednesday relaxed bail conditions of AAP leader Manish Sisodia which required him to report to the investigating officer twice a week in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the Delhi excise policy.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan relaxed the conditions, saying they were not necessary. "The petitioner shall regularly attend the trial," the bench said.

The apex court on November 22 agreed to hear Sisodia's pleas and issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking their responses on the applications.

On August 9, the apex court had granted him bail in the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, saying long incarceration for 17 months without trial had deprived him of his right to speedy trial.

The apex court had imposed conditions, including that he shall report to the investigating officer on every Monday and Thursday between 10 and 11 am.

During the hearing on November 22, Singhvi had said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader had appeared before the investigating officers 60 times.

The former Delhi deputy chief minister was arrested by both the CBI and the ED in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. He was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 for purported irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

The following month, the ED arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023. He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.

Sisodia has denied the allegations.

In its August 9 verdict granting bail to Sisodia in both the cases, the apex court had said it was high time that the trial courts and the high courts should recognise the principle that "bail is rule and jail is exception".

"We find that, on account of a long period of incarceration running for around 17 months and the trial even not having been commenced, the appellant (Sisodia) has been deprived of his right to speedy trial," it had said.

The top court had directed him to furnish a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties of the like amount.

It had directed that Sisodia shall surrender his passport with the special court and not make any attempt either to influence the witnesses or to tamper with the evidence.

The apex court had set aside the May 21 verdict of the Delhi High Court, which had dismissed Sisodia's pleas seeking bail in both these cases. The ED and the CBI had opposed his bail pleas.