The Supreme Court of India is set to deliver its verdict tomorrow on the bail appeal of Manish Sisodia, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who has been in judicial custody for over 17 months. Sisodia’s appeal was heard by the Supreme Court on August 6, with the court reserving its decision following discussions about the duration of the ongoing trial.
Sisodia, who was arrested in February 2023 in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, faces charges from both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). His bail application was previously denied by the Delhi High Court on May 21, which cited concerns over potential misuse of his position and the risk of influencing evidence and witnesses.
During the recent Supreme Court hearing, a bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan inquired about the anticipated length of the trial. They questioned Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju about the timeline, given the extensive list of 493 witnesses. “Assuming even if you drop 50 percent of them, it comes to nearly 250. Realistically, tell us where do you see the end of the tunnel?” the bench asked.
ASG Raju attributed delays to multiple applications filed by Sisodia and others, which sought inspection of documents not directly related to the chargesheet filed in May 2023. He claimed that these applications had hindered the trial’s progress, though none had been dismissed as frivolous. Raju estimated that the trial could begin within a month of charges being framed.
The court had earlier been informed by the ED that a final chargesheet was expected to be filed by July 3, during the hearing on June 4 when Sisodia’s bail challenge was first presented.
Sources By Agencies