Supreme Court relaxes bail conditions of Manish Sisodia in liquor policy case

As per the bail conditions, AAP leader Manish Sisodia was required to report to the investigating officer twice a week in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the Delhi excise policy.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday relaxed bail conditions of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in a corruption and money laundering case related to the Delhi liquor policy case. According to the bail conditions, Sisodia was required to report to the investigating officer twice a week. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Vishwanathan relaxed the conditions, saying they were not necessary. 

“We hold that the condition is not needed and thus deleted. However, the applicant shall regularly attend the trial," the court observed. 

On August 9, this year, the top court had granted bail to Sisodia in the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged liquor scam case, ruling that long incarceration for 17 months without trial had deprived him of his right to speedy trial. However, 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. 

"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 Supreme Court on November 22 agreed to hear Sisodia’s pleas and issued notices to the CBI and the ED seeking their responses on the applications. During the hearing on November 22, Sisodia’s advocate had said the AAP leader had appeared before the investigating officers 60 times.

Sisodia 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.

(With inputs from PTI)