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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding a plea by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia. Sisodia seeks relaxation of a bail condition requiring him to report to the investigating officer (IO) every Monday and Thursday.
A Bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan clarified that the matter would be resolved in the next hearing without further delays. “We will decide the application on the next date,” the Bench stated, granting two weeks for responses. Additionally, Sisodia was permitted to serve notice through the Central Agency alongside the usual methods.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate AM Singhvi, representing Sisodia, highlighted his consistent cooperation with the investigation, noting that he has already marked his attendance 60 times. Singhvi argued that no other accused faces similar conditions, emphasizing Sisodia’s respectable standing.
In August 2024, Sisodia secured bail in cases filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED linked to allegations of irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy. The Supreme Court had granted bail citing undue delays in the trial, which infringed upon his right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The bail conditions included:
Sisodia, who was in custody from February 26, 2023, to August 2024, now seeks relief from the weekly reporting requirement. He and other AAP leaders are accused of modifying the excise policy to favour certain liquor businesses in exchange for bribes, allegedly used to fund the party’s Goa election campaign.
Sisodia was represented by a legal team including Vivek Jain, Mohd Irshad, Suchitra Kumbhat, Amit Bhandari, Rajat Jain, and Sadiq Noor. The Supreme Court is expected to deliver its decision in the upcoming hearing.
