Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has been in jail for 17 months in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy scam, was granted bail by the Supreme Court. The court dismissed a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to impose a condition restricting Sisodia from entering the Delhi Secretariat.
Sisodia, who was arrested in February 2023 on charges of money laundering, had been seeking bail for several months. In his bail plea, he had argued that he had been in custody for an extended period without the trial commencing and that no incriminating evidence had been recovered from him.
The Supreme Court, after hearing arguments from both sides, had reserved its judgment on August 6.
The ED had opposed the bail plea, contending that Sisodia was responsible for the delay in the trial. However, the apex court did not find merit in the ED’s arguments and granted bail to Sisodia.
While granting bail, the court rejected the ED’s request to impose a condition preventing Sisodia from entering the Delhi Secretariat.
Reacting to the bail order, Sisodia stated that nothing had been recovered from him and that he had been falsely implicated in the case.
