Manish Sisodia, former Delhi deputy chief minister, has been granted bail in alleged corruption cases linked to the Delhi liquor policy. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader will walk out of jail 17 months after his arrest.

Here are the top quotes from the Supreme Court’s judgment:

“A citizen cannot be made to run from pillar to post. It would be a travesty of justice to relegate the appellant to the trial court.”
“Procedures cannot be made a mistress of justice.”
“Right to speedy trial is a sacrosanct right… Bail cannot be opposed saying that the crime is serious. In matters of liberty, every day counts”
“High court and trial court are playing safe in matters of bail… Bail is a rule, and jail is an exception.”
“Keeping him behind bars for the purpose of completion of trial will be nothing but a violation of Article 21.”
“Liberty reserved by this court on June 4 will have to be interpreted as reviving of prayer before this court.”
“We have noted judgments where it says in periods of long incarceration, bail can be granted.”
“Sending the appellant back to the trial court would be like playing a game of snakes and ladders with him.”

Manish Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023 for alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI report on March 9, 2023.

He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.

Mr Sisodia had sought bail contending that he has been in custody for 17 months and the trial against him has not yet started.

The ED and the CBI had opposed his bail pleas.

The Supreme Court granted bail to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today, nearly 18 months after his arrest in the alleged liquor policy case.

Reacting to the Supreme Court judgment, AAP leader Raghav Chadha said, “The entire country is happy today as Manish Sisodia, the hero of the Delhi education revolution, got bail. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon’ble Supreme Court. Manish ji was kept behind bars for 530 days. His crime was that he gave the children of the poor a better future. Dear children, your Manish uncle is coming back.”

दिल्ली शिक्षा क्रांति के नायक मनीष सिसोदिया जी को बेल मिलने से पूरे देश में आज ख़ुशी है। मैं माननीय सुप्रीम कोर्ट का हृदय की गहराई से आभार व्यक्त करता हूँ।

मनीष जी को 530 दिन तक जेल की सलाख़ों के पीछे रखा गया। उनका जुर्म इतना था कि उन्होंने गरीबों के बच्चों को एक बेहतर भविष्य… pic.twitter.com/Mai1Zqi6XU

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) August 9, 2024

The Supreme Court’s verdict, delivered by Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, said it would be a “travesty of justice” to continue Mr Sisodia’s incarceration without significant progress in the trial. “Incarceration of 18 months… Trial not having even commenced and the appellant has been deprived of the right to a speedy trial. The trial court and High Court ought to have given due weightage to this,” Justice Gavai remarked.

Manish Sisodia was in custody for 17 months after being arrested in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam