Relief in store for Manish Sisodia? Supreme Court verdict on bail pleas in excise policy case today

AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has been in custody since his arrest in February 2023. The trial in CBI and ED cases against him is yet to begin.

The Supreme Court will on Friday pronounce its verdict in a batch of bail pleas filed by Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan is scheduled to deliver the court’s verdict at 10.30am on whether Sisodia is entitled to be released on bail.

Sisodia has been in custody since February 2023 in connection with cases filed against him in the now-defunct Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate. The trial against Sisodia is yet to begin in the ED and CBI cases over 16 months since his arrest.

Sisodia moved a fresh plea for bail in the Supreme Court citing the delay in the beginning of trial in the cases against him. His plea for bail has been rejected on two occasions in the past.

Denying him bail on October 30, 2023, the apex court allowed him a window to revive his bail plea if the trial fails to conclude in the next six to eight months or proceeds at a snail’s pace.

As the trial failed to begin in the timeframe allowed by the top court, Sisodia moved the Delhi High Court seeking relief on grounds of delay. In June this year, Sisodia approached the apex court when ED told a vacation bench that it would be filing the charge sheet by July 3. Sisodia filed his third bail plea in July.

Appearing for Sisodia, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued before the top court that by delaying the trial, the petitioner’s right to speedy trial guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution stood violated. On the other hand, investigation agencies attributed the delay to frivolous applications filed by Sisodia and other accused.

The agencies also argued that the petition was not maintainable as Sisodia was required to first approach the trial court.