'Indebted to Babasaheb', says Manish Sisodia as he walks out of Tihar jail after 17 months

Hours after he was granted bail by in Delhi excise policy case by Supreme Court, former Delhi deputy CM and AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Friday walked out of Tihar Jail after 17 months.

#WATCH | Former Delhi Deputy CM and AAP leader Manish Sisodia walks out of Tihar Jail. He was granted bail in Delhi excise policy case by Supreme Court today. pic.twitter.com/pBEEkvQZXz

— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2024

Addressing his supporters after his release, he credited Babasaheb Ambedkar, power of the Constitution and democracy for his bail, and said the same power will ensure the release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

#WATCH | AAP leader Manish Sisodia says, "I have come out of jail due to your love, God's blessings & power of truth, and biggest of all, the dream of Babasaheb that if any dictatorial government comes to power and puts Opposition leaders behind bars by forming dictatorial laws,… pic.twitter.com/DCHDuVYGyE

— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2024

“I have come out of jail due to your love, God’s blessings and power of truth, and biggest of all, the dream of Babasaheb that if any dictatorial government comes to power and puts Opposition leaders behind bars by forming dictatorial laws, then this country’s Constitution will protect them…I assure you that with this power of the Constitution, Arvind Kejriwal will come out of jail as well…,” said Sisodia.

Sisodia added that ever since his release order came in the morning, every inch of his skin has been feeling indebted to Babasaheb.

#WATCH | Former Delhi Deputy CM and AAP leader Manish Sisodia says, "Ever since this order came in the morning, every inch of my skin has been feeling indebted to Babasaheb. I don't understand how will pay off this debt to Babasaheb..." pic.twitter.com/h1gTomCm5r

— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2024

“I don’t understand how will I pay off this debt to Babasaheb…,” said the former Delhi CM.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court gave the former deputy chief minister bail in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the Delhi excise policy “scam” case and said his long incarceration without trial had deprived him of the right to speedy justice.

Kejriwal, who is the national convenor of the AAP, is also in Tihar jail in the same case.

Sisodia was greeted by the party workers and leaders, who showered rose petals on him as he walked out of the jail.

The court granted him bail, noting that he has been in custody for 17 months.

“We have brought this legal battle to its logical end through the Constitution. I thank you all for being with me,” Sisodia said and added that he had many of admirers but their numbers have increased in the last 17 months.

“Not only me but every person of Delhi, and children of the country were with me emotionally in jail. I thank the Supreme Court from the bottom of my heart for using the power of Constitution to give a tight slap to the dictatorship in the country,” he said.

Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 last year for purported irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9 last year. He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28 in 2023.

Sisodia had sought bail contending that he has been in custody for 17 months and the trial against him has not yet started. The ED and the CBI had opposed his bail pleas.

With inputs from agencies