Senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia walked out of the Tihar Jail on Friday, August 9 after being behind bars for the last 17 months. The Supreme Court granted him bail earlier in the day concerning the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise police scam.
Manish Sisodia Walks Out Of Jail After 17 Months
Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was put behind bars 17 months ago in relation to an alleged corruprtion and money laundering case concerning the Delhi excise policy scam. The Supreme Court granted Manish Sisodia with bail on Friday suggesting that his prolonged period in custody without any trial deprives him of the right to speedy justice. Moreover, Manish Sisodia has been in the Tihar Jail since February of 2023.
Supreme Court Mentions The Right To Free Trial
The Supreme Court held that to ensure the right to a free trial, the accused can also not be denied the right to have an inspection of the prosecution document, including the un-relied upon documents. The court further noted the availability of more than 69,000 pages of documents concerning both CBI and ED matters. These observations were made by a bench consisting of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan.
AAP Party Workers Welcome Sisodia Outside Tihar Jail
Upon Manish Sisodia’s return, numerous AAP leaders and party workers gathered outside the Tihar Jail to welcome him. Sisodia was greeted with ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ along with slogans of ‘Inquilab Zindabad’. After he was released from his custody, he addressed the media and reporters. He expressed deep gratitude towards Dr. B R Ambedkar. He stated, “Ever since this order came in the morning, every inch of my skin is feeling indebted to Babasaheb”.
Manish Sisodia Hopes For Arvind Kejriwal’s Return
Furthermore, Manish Sisodia claimed that he had not been alone throughout his time of 17 years in the Tihar Jail. He shared that citizens of Delhi, along with the schoolchildren of Delhi were emotionally supporting Sisodia. He also thanked the Supreme Court for the decision, adding, “It used the power of the constitution to slap the face of dictatorship”. He also hoped that the power of the constitution and democracy would also contribute to the release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is also in the Tihar Jail for the same reason.