'He was kept in jail because...' Atishi breaks down mid-speech after Manish Sisodia's bail

Following former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia's bail by the Supreme Court (SC) in the excise policy scam case, party leader and Delhi Minister Atishi on Friday, i.e., August 9, said that the former was put in jail because he provided good education to the poor children of Delhi. 

Atishi was also captured breaking down mid-speech, as she spoke about the former Delhi Minister. 

"Today, the truth has won. The victory belongs to the students of Delhi. He (Manish Sisodia) was kept in jail because he provided good education to the poor children of Delhi", Atishi said. 

Earlier in the day, the top court granted bail to the AAP leader in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the excise policy scam case. The SC noted that Sisodia had been in custody for the past 17 months and the trial had not yet commenced. 

A bench of justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan said Sisodia has been in custody for 17 months and trial has not yet commenced, depriving him of the right to speedy trial. The top court also emphasised that it is high time that the trial courts and high courts recognise that the principle of bail is a rule and jail is an exception.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also applied a few conditions while granting bail to Manish Sisodia. 

The court directed him to submit his passport. However, it observed that Sisodia, being a renowned person in the country, has no chance of 'fleeing away'. 

The top court also instructed the AAP leader to mark his attendance at police station every Monday, and furnish a personal bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties of the like amount.

The former deputy chief minister of Delhi was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023 in connection with the alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy 2021-22, which was scrapped later by the AAP government. 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023. On February 28, 2023, Manish Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet. 

He had sought bail contending that he has been in custody for 17 months and the trial against him has not yet started.

According to the CBI, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), through the now-scrapped Excise Policy, extended 'unfair' benefits to alcohol vendors, in return of which, the party received monetary benefits. The same was used by the party in Punjab and Goa assembly polls, as mentioned in the CBI chargesheet.