Manish Sisodia Bail: After the Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi's former deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case, reactions started to pour in from across party lines.
Reacting to apex court's decision, AAP's INDIA bloc ally Congress said that the good thing is the principle of bail not jail has been followed. The Bharatiya Janata Party also reacted to the top court's decision, saying that the grant of bail does not mean acquittal.
"It's a good thing that the principle of bail not jail has been followed because the fact is that in our country that's what supposed to be the governing norm. It hasn't happened so far for the simple reason only the judiciary can explain," Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told news agency PTI.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also reacted to the grant of bail to says, "I hope that all will get the justice, especially the AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal who is still in jail."
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai said, "He faced a lot of atrocities...This is a big relief for Manish Sisodia.."
Reacting to the decision, DMK MP A Raja said, "I have heard that he has got bail. Now the opposition INDIA bloc (leader) will come out of jail continuously."
On the other hand, the BJP said that there is no need to be excited as Manish Sisodia has been granted bail because bail does not mean acquittal. BJP National General Secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam says, "Getting bail does not mean acquittal, the case remains the same...There is no need to get excited and mislead the people and the court..."
The apex court granted bail to the AAP leader in both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases in connection with the Delhi liquor policy, citing delayed trial and long incarceration.
Sisodia was granted bail in the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The AAP leader has been in jail for nearly 18 months.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, which had reserved its judgement on Sisodia's pleas on August 6, rejected the trial court's finding that Sisodia was also responsible for delaying the trial. The Delhi High Court's adverse remarks against the AAP leader in this regard have also been junked by the top court.
The court ordered him to be released on payment of Rs 10 lakh in bail bonds. Sisodia has to surrender his passport and report to the police station every Monday and has been asked to not tamper with evidence or influence witnesses.