Excise Policy Scam: Manish Sisodia was arrested in February 2023 (File).
Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia - arrested by the CBI in February last year in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam, and again by the Enforcement Directorate 12 days later - secured bail from the Supreme Court Friday after spending nearly 18 months in jail without a trial.
In a powerful verdict the top court questioned the trial court and Delhi High Court's rejection of Mr Sisodia's bail pleas, and said the ex-Deputy Chief Minister could not languish in jail sans that trial.
The Supreme Court's ruling has been hailed by Mr Sisodia's AAP - as the "victory of truth" - and by party colleagues and political allies. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha declared on X, "the entire country is happy today as Manish Sisodia, hero of Delhi education revolution, got bail."
READ | "Travesty Of Justice": Sisodia Gets Bail, Supreme Court Slams Delay
Another of Mr Sisodia's colleagues, Atishi, expressed joy and also said Arvind Kejriwal - AAP boss and Chief Minister, jailed since March in the same case - "will also come out".
Atishi heads Delhi's Education Ministry after Manish Sisodia resigned post his arrest.
READ | "Sisodia Kept In Jail For 530 Days. His Crime Was...": Raghav Chadha
"Manish Sisodia has been granted bail today after being in jail for 17 months. This is the victory of truth. He was implicated in a false case... and now we are waiting... Delhi's popular Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will also come out. This is the victory of the people of Delhi..."
The AAP's Sanjay Singh, the third of its senior leaders to have been arrested over the alleged liquor policy scam, called Manish Sisodia's release "a slap on the Centre's dictatorship".
Mr Singh was released on bail, by the top court, in April after six months in jail.
BJP's "Don't Be Too Happy" Warning
The opposition BJP, meanwhile, which has been fierce in targeting Mr Kejriwal and the AAP on this issue, including demanding the Chief Minister resign on moral grounds, has reacted strongly.
"Manish Sisodia has got bail in the liquor policy scam case. The BJP always respects court's decision... but getting bail for an accused does not mean being free from the charges," the saffron party's Delhi unit boss, Virendra Sachdeva, said, "Investigations are going on... court will see the evidence."
"Be it Arvind Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia or others... all of them have brokered the liquor policy scam and this decision will be in front of everyone in the 'court of the people'," he declared.
Party MP Yogendra Chandolia told NDTV the AAP shouldn't get carried away.
"Look... this comes under the jurisdiction of the court, whether they grant bail or not. He was in jail for 17-18 months and was continuously trying... now on what terms and conditions he got bail will be known later. I would just like to say to AAP don't be too happy. Bail is just a relief... it is relief for a short time. The case will go on in the court... the agency has evidence," he said.
Mr Chandolia also slammed the AAP, which has defeated the BJP in two consecutive Delhi Assembly elections and is hoping to claim a hat-trick next year, of "lying" for political gain.
Top Court Slams Lower Courts Over Sisodia
In releasing Mr Sisodia, the court also made critical observations on the federal agencies', one example of which was Justice Gavai saying, "In this case 493 witnesses (were) named (and) there is not remotest possibility that Manish Sisodia's trial will conclude in (the near) future."
On that note, during the hearing, the court asked Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who represented the agencies, "Realistically tell us... where do you see the end of the tunnel?"
READ | "Like Snakes And Ladders": Why Court Granted Bail To Sisodia
Mr Raju had earlier argued the delay was due to multiple applications filed by Mr Sisodia and others, seeking inspection of documents unrelated to charges filed in May last year.
On the question of Mr Sisodia allegedly tampering with evidence, the court pointed out "most evidence is documentary" and that these documents were already with the probe agencies.
The court finally ruled that Manish Sisodia could not be made to run "from pillar to post" to secure bail.
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