Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia walked out of Tihar Jail on Friday (August 9, 2024) after 17 months behind bars.
The Supreme Court gave him bail earlier in the day and said his long incarceration without trial had deprived him of the right to speedy justice.
The former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister was arrested by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi Excise policy scam.
Holding aloft flags and cheering loudly, crowds of AAP supporters waited to welcome Mr. Sisodia as stepped out of jail.
Supreme Court’s judgment on Manish Sisodia’s bail: Live updates
Addressing supporters outside Tihar, Mr. Sisodia said “You all have supported me for the last 17 months, I am out for the benefit and welfare of the people of Delhi”.
“We have brought this legal battle to its logical end through the Constitution. I thank you all for being with me,” he said amid chants of “Kejriwal, Kejriwal”.
“Today truth has won. In the end, only truth wins,” said a post by “Team Kejriwal” on the Delhi Chief Minister’s official handle on X. Mr. Kejriwal is in Tihar jail in the same case.
On the Supreme Court granting bail to him, Mr. Sisodia said he was “feeling indebted to Baba Saheb Ambedkar after this order”.
“We have brought this legal battle to its logical end constitutionally,” he said after walking out of jail. “Grateful to Supreme Court that used power of Constitution to give tight slap on dictatorship, he added. “I got bail due to the power of Constitution and democracy. This power will ensure our leader Arvind Kejriwal is also released.”
While granting bail to Mr. Sisodia, a Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan said the right to a speedy trial and personal liberty were sacrosanct. Bail cannot be withheld as a punishment. If the state, prosecution agencies or even courts do not have the wherewithal to protect an accused’s right to a speedy trial, they should not withhold bail on the ground that the alleged crime was serious.
The apex court allowed bail to Mr. Sisodia in both Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases and ordered him to be released on payment of ₹10 lakh in bail bonds. The Aam Aadmi Party leader has to surrender his passport and report to the police station every Monday.
(With PTI inputs)
