As he left the jail, Manish Sisodia, dressed in a maroon shirt, was hailed by party officials and workers, who showered him with rose petals.
Hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the purported Delhi excise policy scandal, prominent AAP leader Manish Sisodia left Tihar prison on Friday. He was detained without being given a chance to defend himself for 17 months before being released.
Screams of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ greeted AAP leaders and party activists as they gathered in huge numbers outside Tihar Jail to welcome Sisodia.
“Ever since this order came in the morning, every inch of my skin has been feeling indebted to Babasaheb,” Sisodia said in his address to the media and supporters upon his release. He also conveyed his sincere thanks to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. I’m not sure how I’m going to pay this loan off. Babasaheb.”
“Over the past 17 months, not only was I not alone in jail, but every Delhiite and schoolchild in Delhi was emotionally there for me.” From the bottom of my heart, I would want to thank the Supreme Court. It slapped the face of despotism with the might of the Constitution,” he said.
Sisodia stated that everyone was experiencing an emotional time and expressed the hope that the strength of democracy and the Constitution will open doors for the release of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who is also being held in Tihar jail in connection with the same case.
The former deputy to Arvind Kejriwal hailed prominent counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi for assisting him in getting out of prison.
To welcome Sisodia, prominent AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi, and Sanjay Singh were gathered outside Tihar.
In the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) proceedings, the Supreme Court granted Manish Sisodia regular release on a personal bond of ₹10 lakh, with two sureties of the same amount. The court pointed out that Sisodia had been denied his right to a speedy trial because he had been detained since February 2023 and the trial had not yet started.
The judges reiterated the legal precept that “bail is a rule, and jail is an exception,” saying that it would be a mockery of justice to grant him bail at this point.
