On Wednesday, the Supreme Court granted relief to Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), by relaxing one of the bail conditions in the Delhi excise policy case. Sisodia had filed a plea seeking the removal of the condition that required him to report to the investigating officer (IO) twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, as part of his bail conditions.
A Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan agreed to delete the reporting condition, finding it unnecessary. The Court emphasized, however, that Sisodia must continue to attend the trial proceedings regularly without fail. “We hold that the condition requiring him to visit the police station twice a week is not needed and thus deleted. However, the applicant shall regularly attend trial,” the Court stated in its order.
Sisodia had been granted bail by the Supreme Court in August 2023 after being in custody since February 26, 2023. The cases against him are related to alleged corruption and money laundering in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy, which was scrapped by the Delhi government. The Court granted bail after determining that the prolonged delay in the trial violated Sisodia’s right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution.
When granting bail, the Court imposed several conditions, which included:
- Bail bonds of ₹10,00,000, along with two sureties of the same amount.
- Surrender of his passport.
- Reporting to the investigating officer every Monday and Thursday between 10-11 AM.
Sisodia had moved the Court seeking relaxation of the reporting condition, which he found to be overly burdensome. The Court’s decision to relax the condition is seen as a relief for him.
The case revolves around allegations that the Delhi Excise Policy was manipulated to favour specific liquor vendors in exchange for bribes, which allegedly funded AAP’s campaign in the 2022 Goa elections. Sisodia, along with other AAP leaders, faces charges of corruption and money laundering in connection with the policy.
Sisodia had filed multiple bail applications that were initially denied before the Supreme Court intervened. His legal team, led by Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, included advocates Vivek Jain, Mohd Irshad, Suchitra Kumbhat, Amit Bhandari, Rajat Jain, and Sadiq Noor. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju represented the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during the proceedings.
This decision is part of a broader legal and political battle, as Sisodia and other AAP leaders continue to challenge the charges brought against them in the excise policy case. The Supreme Court’s relaxation of the bail condition marks a significant development in the ongoing legal process.
