Supreme Court To Hear Manish Sisodia’s Bail Relaxation Pleas On Dec 11

Manish Sisodia

The Supreme Court on Monday has scheduled the hearing of AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s petitions for December 11, where he seeks relaxation of bail conditions in the Delhi excise policy corruption and money laundering cases.

These conditions currently require him to report to investigating officers twice weekly.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Sisodia, mentioned the case before a bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan. The bench agreed to the request, stating, “Day after tomorrow,” while confirming the listing date.

Earlier, on November 22, the apex court had issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for their responses on Sisodia’s applications.

Background of the Case

Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021–22. Subsequently, on March 9, 2023, the ED took him into custody on charges of money laundering related to the same case. He resigned from his ministerial post on February 28, 2023. Sisodia has consistently denied the allegations against him.

In its August 9 decision, the Supreme Court granted bail to Sisodia in both cases, noting that his 17-month incarceration without trial violated his right to a speedy trial. The court highlighted the principle that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception.”

Bail Conditions and Current Plea

As part of the bail conditions, Sisodia was directed to report to the investigating officers every Monday and Thursday between 10 and 11 a.m. Singhvi argued during a previous hearing that Sisodia had already complied with this directive 60 times.

Additionally, the court required Sisodia to surrender his passport, furnish a bail bond of ₹10 lakh with two sureties of the same amount, and refrain from influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.

The apex court’s August ruling overturned the Delhi High Court’s May 21 decision, which had rejected Sisodia’s bail pleas. Both the ED and the CBI had opposed his bail, citing concerns over the integrity of their investigations.

As the hearing approaches, all eyes remain on the Supreme Court’s stance on relaxing the conditions imposed on Sisodia, who continues to fight the charges against him.