The Supreme Court on Friday gave bail to AAP leader Manish Sisodia who has been in jail for 17 months, sharply pulling up the lower courts and saying his long incarceration without trial had deprived him of the right to speedy justice. A bench of Justice B R Gavai and Justice K V Viswanathan said in a scathing verdict it is high time trial courts and high courts recognise the principle that “bail is rule and jail is exception”.

As observed time and again, prolonged incarceration before being pronounced guilty of an offence should not be permitted to become punishment without trial,” the bench said while describing Sisodia as a man with deep roots in society.