The Supreme Court granted bail to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on August 9, 2024, in cases filed against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi excise policy.
A Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan recognized Sisodia’s right to a speedy trial, emphasizing that Sisodia had already spent 17 months in jail without the trial commencing.
As part of the bail conditions, Sisodia was required to pay ₹10 lakh in bail bonds, surrender his passport, report to the police station every Monday, and avoiding any tampering with evidence or attempting to influence witnesses.
The court declined the ED’s request to bar Sisodia from visiting the Delhi Secretariat or the Chief Minister’s office, unlike the restrictions placed on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during his interim bail.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI under the Prevention of Corruption Act on February 26, 2023, and by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on March 9, 2023. His earlier bail applications were denied by the Delhi High Court on May 30, 2024, and by the Supreme Court’s Vacation Bench on June 4, 2024. However, the Bench allowed Sisodia to renew his bail plea once the final charge sheets are filed by the central agencies.
