Mr. Sisodia was arrested by both the CBI and the ED in connection with corruption and money laundering cases. (File)
New Delhi:
AAP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia will not have to report to the investigating officer twice a week in the corruption and money laundering cases related to Delhi’s excise policy after the Supreme Court on Wednesday relaxed his bail conditions.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan relaxed the conditions, terming them unnecessary.
“The petitioner will regularly attend the trial,” the report said.
The top court on November 22 agreed to hear Mr Sisodia’s pleas and issued notices to the CBI and the ED seeking their responses.
On August 9, the Supreme Court granted him bail in both cases related to the alleged 2021-2022 Delhi excise policy case, saying a 17-month detention without trial deprived him of his right to a speedy trial.
The High Court then imposed conditions including his reporting to the investigating officer every Monday and Thursday between 10am and 11am.
During the hearing on November 22, Singhvi argued that the AAP leader had appeared before the investigating officers 60 times.
Mr Sisodia was arrested by both the CBI and the ED in the corruption and money laundering cases respectively related to the alleged excise scam.
He was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 for alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022.
The following month, the ED arrested him in the money laundering case arising out of the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023. He resigned from the Delhi Cabinet on February 28, 2023.
Mr Sisodia has denied the allegations.
In its August 9 judgment granting bail to Mr Sisodia in both cases, the Supreme Court said it was high time that the trial courts and high courts recognized the principle that “bail is the rule and imprisonment is the exception”.
“We find that due to a long period of incarceration of about 17 months and the trial not even having begun, the appellant (Mr. Sisodia) has been deprived of his right to a speedy trial,” the report said.
The top court had directed him to furnish a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties of the same amount.
Mr. Sisodia was further directed to surrender his passport to the special court and not make any attempt to influence the witnesses or tamper with the evidence.
The top court had quashed the May 21 verdict of the Delhi High Court, which rejected Mr Sisodia’s bail pleas in both cases.
The ED and CBI had opposed his bail pleas.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
