"How long will trial take?" Supreme Court reserves order on Manish Sisodia bail plea

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict in the bail plea filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in the money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy of 2021-22. [Manish Sisodia v Directorate of Enforcement]..A Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan heard the ED and Sisodia before reserving its verdict.During the hearing, the Court also asked ED how long it will take to complete trial in the case."Where is light at the end of the tunnel and how long will it take," Justice Viswanathan asked.The Court was also not impressed by ED's arguments that Sisodia had filed multiple applications before the trial court seeking supply of various documents and that had led to the delay in trial."None of the applications have been rejected saying it is vexatious or something. You have only supplied those documents after they moved the applications," Justice Gavai remarked."There is no word 'frivolous' in the order. Show us some words like 'vexatious', 'intended to delay trial' etc. Something like that," Justice Viswanathan weighed in.However, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju maintained that the delay was attributable solely to Sisodia."Our trial would have commenced and these documents were unwarranted but just because of these applications. Delay is completely attributable to them and not to the agency. Speedy trial cannot be fitted in a straightjacket formula and it is case by case basis and they don't want this to be heard on merits. So the best option (for them) is to delay it," he said. .Manish Sisodia has been in custody since February 26, 2023, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as well as the ED.The case involves allegations that Delhi government officials tweaked the excise policy to benefit certain liquor sellers in exchange for bribes that were used to fund the AAP's elections in Goa.Sisodia has filed several bail applications in the matter to no avail.His first round of bail applications was rejected in 2023, including by the Supreme Court. At the time, the Supreme Court added that Sisodia could file for bail again if the trial progressed at a slow pace.He then filed a second round of bail pleas which also came to be rejected.He then filed this third bail plea after the chargesheet was filed.In May, the Delhi High Court agreed with a trial court's April 30 decision to reject Sisodia's 2024 bail plea in both the ED and CBI cases.The Supreme Court is now hearing Sisodia's challenge to this verdict..During the hearing today, Sisodia's counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi maintained that there was no evidence against Sisodia. "There is no statement about Manish Sisodia or WhatsApp chat with him. No evidence about hawala operators with him, no evidence of WhatsApp chat with Sisodia at all," he said.He also highlighted that Sisodia has already undergone nearly half of the prison sentence which he would be subject to in case he is found guilty. "Sisodia has already undergone half of the minimum sentence here and there is no end to this period of incarceration. I am not seeking default bail. This case is not about commencement of trial but conclusion of trial. Earlier a date was given when it will commence and that period has also lapsed," Singhvi argued.He also rebutted ED's contention that the applications by Sisodia were delay tactics."All applications (filed by Sisodia) were allowed (by trial court), and not challenged and there is no delay. The test is whether the accused has sabotaged the trial and not whether (he filed) applications filed one after another," Singhvi said.ASG Raju maintained that the delay was due to Sisodia. "Instead of proceeding with trial, they gave applications after application citing that unrelied documents were being taken into consideration," he contended.He also said that if let out, Sisodia could tamper with evidence and influence witnesses."There are some important witnesses who can be examined and may be tampered. These witnesses could be influenced and there is a likelihood for the same," he said