After 17 months, Sisodia walks free

SC grants him bail, says bail cannot be withheld as a punishment

- VINAY KUMAR

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia walked out of Tihar Jail on Friday after the Supreme Court granted him bail in cases registered against him by the Central probe agencies — Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) relating to the now-scrapped excise policy scam.

Sisodia remained behind bars for about 17 months with the Apex Court saying his long incarceration without trial had deprived him of the right to speedy justice.

As Sisodia exited the jail at 6:45 pm, hundreds of rain-soaked supporters and party workers welcomed him with showers of rose petals. Some even lifted him onto their shoulders, chanting “Inquilab Zindabad” (long live revolution).

Party leaders Atishi, Sanjay Singh, and Durgesh Pathak arrived at Tihar Jail to greet Sisodia, standing in the rain with umbrellas as they awaited the release of the former Delhi deputy chief minister.

“Namaskar to all of you from Azad (free) Sisodia. We have brought this legal battle to its logical end through the Constitution. I thank you all for being with me,” he said amid chants of “Kejriwal, Kejriwal”.

“Today truth has won. In the end, only truth wins,” said a post by “Team Kejriwal” on the Delhi chief minister’s official handle on X. Kejriwal is in Tihar jail in the same case.

Later in the evening, Sisodia met Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal at the CM’s residence.