The Evening Wrap: Manish Sisodia walks out of Tihar after spending 17 months behind bars

Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia walked out of Tihar Jail after 17 months behind bars on Friday (August 9, 2024) and said he got bail due to the power of the Constitution and democracy, and this same power will ensure the release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. 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 greeted 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. Hailing Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Sisodia said he was indebted to him. “My whole life is indebted to Ambedkar,” he said. The leader said it was an emotional moment for everyone and hoped that the power of Constitution and democracy will pave the way for release of Kejriwal. He raised the slogan, “Bhrasthachaar ka ek hi kaal, Kejriwal, Kejriwal”. Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2024 for purported irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise policy 2021-22. The Enforcement Directorate arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2024. 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. Court of Arbitration for Sport hears Vinesh Phogat’s plea The Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday (August 9, 2024) that a judge in Paris is holding a hearing on India wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s appeal to award her a shared silver medal after being disqualified from her Paris Olympics final for missing the weight limit. The decision is “expected to be issued before the end of the Olympic Games”, CAS, sports’ highest court, said. Senior advocate Harish Salve is representing the Indian Olympic Association at CAS. The closing ceremony is on Sunday (August 11, 2024) and medals were already awarded in Phogat’s event. Phogat barely missed the final on Wednesday (August 7, 2024) and the disqualification also cost her getting a medal. CAS said Phogat filed her appeal on Wednesday (August 7, 2024) seeking a new weigh-in and to be allowed to compete in the final but there was too little time to process a hearing. Phogat beat defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan on Tuesday (August 6, 2024), then won quarterfinal and semifinal matches to advance to the final. She announced on Thursday (August 8, 2024) she would retire from the sport. Home Ministry forms 5-member committee to monitor India-Bangladesh border In the wake of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the Modi government has constituted a committee to monitor the current situation on the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB), Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said. The committee headed by the ADG, Border Security Force, Eastern Command, will maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals, Hindus, and other minority communities living there. Other members of the committee include IG, BSF Frontier HQ South Bengal, IG, BSF Frontier HQ Tripura, Member (Planning and Development), and Secretary, LPAI. An interim government under the leadership of Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus was sworn in on Thursday (August 8, 2024), in Bangladesh a couple of days after Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country after growing unrest demanding her ouster. Wishing Mr. Yunus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged him to ensure “safety and protection” of the minority communities in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs too on Thursday (August 8, 2024) informed that officials are in touch with the post-Hasina administration to ensure safety for remaining officials in its missions and citizens who are scattered across Bangladesh. Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking postponement of NEET-PG The Supreme Court on Friday (August 9, 2024) rejected a plea seeking postponement of the NEET-PG examination, scheduled for August 11, which claimed that candidates have been allocated cities that are highly inconvenient for them to reach. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it can’t put the careers of two lakh students in jeopardy for five students. “How can we postpone such an exam? Mr. Sanjay Hegde, nowadays people just come asking to postpone the exam. It’s not a perfect world. We are not academic experts. “As a matter of principle, we will not reschedule the exam. There are two lakh students and four lakh parents who will weep over the weekend if we postpone it. We cannot put the careers of so many candidates in jeopardy. We do not know who is behind these petitions,” the bench said. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that rescheduling the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Postgraduate) (NEET-PG) is needed because there is one exam in the morning and one in the afternoon. The plea said many candidates have been allocated cities, which are highly inconvenient for them to reach. The exam was initially to be held on June 23, 2024. It was postponed by the Union Health Ministry as a “precautionary measure” in the wake of alleged irregularities in certain other competitive exams. In Brief: The Lok Sabha has adopted a motion naming 21 of its members to be part of a joint committee of Houses to examine the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The panel will also have 10 members from the Rajya Sabha and is mandated to submit its report by the last day of the first week of the next Parliament session. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 09 August 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Manish Sisodia walks out of Tihar jail after 17 months behind bars Senior AAP leader [Manish Sisodia walked out of Tihar Jail]( after 17 months behind bars on Friday (August 9, 2024) and said he got bail due to the power of the Constitution and democracy, and this same power will ensure the release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. 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 greeted 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. Hailing Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Sisodia said he was indebted to him. “My whole life is indebted to Ambedkar,” he said. The leader said it was an emotional moment for everyone and hoped that the power of Constitution and democracy will pave the way for release of Kejriwal. He raised the slogan, “Bhrasthachaar ka ek hi kaal, Kejriwal, Kejriwal”. Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2024 for purported irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise policy 2021-22. The Enforcement Directorate arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2024. 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. Court of Arbitration for Sport hears Vinesh Phogat’s plea The Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday (August 9, 2024) that a judge in Paris is holding a hearing on India wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s appeal to award her a shared silver medal after being disqualified from her Paris Olympics final for missing the weight limit. The [decision is “expected to be issued before the end of the Olympic Games”]( CAS, sports’ highest court, said. Senior advocate Harish Salve is representing the Indian Olympic Association at CAS. The closing ceremony is on Sunday (August 11, 2024) and medals were already awarded in Phogat’s event. Phogat barely missed the final on Wednesday (August 7, 2024) and the disqualification also cost her getting a medal. CAS said Phogat filed her appeal on Wednesday (August 7, 2024) seeking a new weigh-in and to be allowed to compete in the final but there was too little time to process a hearing. Phogat beat defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan on Tuesday (August 6, 2024), then won quarterfinal and semifinal matches to advance to the final. She announced on Thursday (August 8, 2024) she would retire from the sport. Home Ministry forms 5-member committee to monitor India-Bangladesh border In the wake of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the Modi government has [constituted a committee to monitor the current situation on the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB)]( Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said. The committee headed by the ADG, Border Security Force, Eastern Command, will maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals, Hindus, and other minority communities living there. Other members of the committee include IG, BSF Frontier HQ South Bengal, IG, BSF Frontier HQ Tripura, Member (Planning and Development), and Secretary, LPAI. An interim government under the leadership of Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus was sworn in on Thursday (August 8, 2024), in Bangladesh a couple of days after Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country after growing unrest demanding her ouster. Wishing Mr. Yunus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged him to ensure “safety and protection” of the minority communities in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs too on Thursday (August 8, 2024) informed that officials are in touch with the post-Hasina administration to ensure safety for remaining officials in its missions and citizens who are scattered across Bangladesh. Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking postponement of NEET-PG The Supreme Court on Friday (August 9, 2024) [rejected a plea seeking postponement of the NEET-PG examination]( scheduled for August 11, which claimed that candidates have been allocated cities that are highly inconvenient for them to reach. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it can’t put the careers of two lakh students in jeopardy for five students. “How can we postpone such an exam? Mr. Sanjay Hegde, nowadays people just come asking to postpone the exam. It’s not a perfect world. We are not academic experts. “As a matter of principle, we will not reschedule the exam. There are two lakh students and four lakh parents who will weep over the weekend if we postpone it. We cannot put the careers of so many candidates in jeopardy. We do not know who is behind these petitions,” the bench said. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that rescheduling the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Postgraduate) (NEET-PG) is needed because there is one exam in the morning and one in the afternoon. The plea said many candidates have been allocated cities, which are highly inconvenient for them to reach. The exam was initially to be held on June 23, 2024. It was postponed by the Union Health Ministry as a “precautionary measure” in the wake of alleged irregularities in certain other competitive exams. In Brief: The Lok Sabha has [adopted a motion naming 21 of its members to be part of a joint committee of Houses]( to examine the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The panel will also have 10 members from the Rajya Sabha and is mandated to submit its report by the last day of the first week of the next Parliament session. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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