Supreme Court Clears Manish Sisodia of Trial Delay in Delhi Liquor Policy Case

In a significant development in the Delhi Liquor Policy case, the Supreme Court observed that the delay in commencing the trial was not attributable to former Delhi Deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia. The observation was made while hearing Sisodia’s bail plea.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta disposed of two special leave petitions challenging a May 21 Delhi High Court order that had rejected Sisodia’s bail plea in money laundering and corruption cases. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the Court that prosecuting agencies would file the final chargesheet within 3-4 weeks. While the bail pleas were disposed of, the bench reserved Sisodia’s right to raise his pleas after the chargesheet is filed.

Senior Advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sisodia, urged the Court to issue a notice considering Sisodia’s 15 months of pre-trial incarceration. Singhvi referred to a previous Supreme Court judgment emphasizing the need to avoid prolonged pre-trial detention. He pointed out that the prosecution had been delaying the trial by filing supplementary chargesheets and making new arrests.

SG Mehta countered that Sisodia’s frequent applications had delayed the framing of charges. Singhvi defended Sisodia’s actions, stating that challenging defective document supplies was a fundamental right, and noted that most applications had been allowed by the Special Court.

Justice Kumar acknowledged Singhvi’s submission, stating that there was no delay attributable to Sisodia. Justice Mehta noted that delays in such cases might not be attributable to either side due to the volume of evidence. SG Mehta confirmed that the final chargesheet would be filed soon.

The Court declined SG Mehta’s request for a directive to expedite the trial on a day-to-day basis, with Justice Mehta deeming it unnecessary until the investigation’s conclusion.