New Delhi: A court here on Friday accepted the bail bonds furnished on behalf of senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has been ordered to be released on bail by the Supreme Court in the alleged excise policy case.
The Rouse Avenue Court will shortly issue an order to release Sisodia from Tihar Jail. Earlier in the day, the top court allowed Sisodia’s bail pleas in the CBI as well as the ED case. In its judgment, the SC asked the senior AAP leader to furnish bail bonds for the sum of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties of like amount.
Further, it ordered Sisodia to surrender his passport to the special court and asked him to report to the investigative officer on every Monday and Thursday between 10 to 11 a.m. “The appellant shall not make any attempt to either influence the witnesses or to tamper with the evidence,” the SC said.
A bench headed by Justice BR Gavai refused to accept the central agency’s submission that Sisodia while out on bail should not be allowed to visit the Delhi CM’s office or Delhi Secretariat.
The Bench, also comprising Justice K.V. Viswanathan, observed that Sisodia has been deprived of his right to speedy trial, considering the fact that he suffered incarceration of more than 17 months and the trial in the case has not yet commenced. The Supreme Court said that former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia cannot be kept behind bars for an unlimited period of time in the hope of a speedy completion of trial in the excise policy case.
On Tuesday, the Apex Court reserved its judgment after hearing the oral arguments raised by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the central agencies, and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared on Sisodia’s behalf.
In its judgment delivered on October 30 last year, the SC had denied bail to the former Deputy CM but said that if the trial proceeds slowly in the next three months, he may apply for bail afresh.
IANS
