‘Jail ke taale toot gaye’ chants rant air as Sisodia walks out

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9

Former Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia walked out of Tihar Jail after 17 months after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the money laundering and corruption cases related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

‘Owe my life to Constitution’

Today, I am out of jail after 17 months, and it is only because of the Constitution. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution has protected those who fought against dictatorship. I owe my entire life to Babasaheb and the Constitution he crafted. — Manish Sisodia, AAP leader

Timeline

Feb 26, 2023 CBI arrests Manish Sisodia for his alleged role in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam

March 9 Enforcement Directorate arrests Sisodia in a money-laundering case stemming from the CBI's FIR

March 31 Trial court rejects Sisodia’s bail plea in the CBI corruption case

April 28 Trial court dismisses Sisodia’s bail plea in the money laundering case

May 30 Delhi HC rejects Sisodia’s bail plea in the CBI case

July 3 HC junks Sisodia’s bail plea in the money laundering case

July 6 Sisodia files bail pleas in both cases in SC

October 30 SC denies relief to Sisodia

April 30, 2024 Trial court again refuses to grant bail to Sisodia

May 2 Sisodia moves HC seeking bail in both corruption and money laundering cases

May 21 HC denies bail to Sisodia

July 16 SC agrees to hear Sisodia’s pleas seeking bail, seeks responses from the CBI and the ED

Aug 6 SC reserves verdict on Sisodia’s bail pleas in both cases

Aug 9 SC grants bail to Sisodia

As he emerged from the prison on Friday evening, Sisodia greeted his supporters saying, “Aap sabko Manish Sisodia ka namaskar”, marking his return with a heartfelt salute to the crowd who had gathered outside the jail on Friday evening.

Sisodia was arrested on February 26, 2023, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his alleged role in the alleged excise scam. He was later arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case pertaining to the alleged scam.

“For the last 17 months, you have struggled alongside me, and I have thought about the schoolchildren throughout this period,” he added, addressing his supporters amid slogans of “Jail ke taale toot gaye… Manish ji chhoot gaye” and “Inquilab Zindabad”.

After coming out from the jail, Sisodia embraced his fellow party leaders Sanjay Singh and Atishi.

“Today, I am out of jail after 17 months, and it is only because of the Constitution. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution has protected those who fought against dictatorship. I owe my entire life to Babasaheb and the Constitution he crafted,” he said.

Attacking the BJP-led Central Government, Sisodia remarked, “I thank the Supreme Court from the bottom of my heart for using the power of the Constitution to confront the dictatorship.”

He met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and other family members in presence of a huge gathering of party office bearers and supporters.

This was the third time this year that AAP workers and supporters gathered outside Tihar Jail to welcome their top leadership. After the arrest of the party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal on March 21, AAP MP Sanjay Singh was granted bail in the same case in April. A month later, Kejriwal was granted a 21-day interim bail due to the Lok Sabha elections on May 10.