A Delhi court on Saturday discharged Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, AAP lawmakers Amanatullah and Sanjeev Jha and others in a case related to a protest held by them outside the Tihar jail in 2014. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal granted relief to the accused saying there was a delay of four years in filing charges against the accused "without any valid reason."
The court took note of the submissions made by advocate Mohd Irshad, appearing for the AAP leaders, that there was no allegation that any of the accused person was on the run or hiding in the case. The court also noted that as per the police record itself the primary investigation was completed within a few days of the incident itself. The final report had accused 59 persons, including some AAP lawmakers and workers, of joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing that it has been commanded to disperse, and disobedience to the order duly promulgated by a public servant.
The matter relates to the protest staged by them after AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal was taken into judicial custody when he refused to furnish a bail bond in a defamation case filed by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari. A Delhi court had sent Mr Kejriwal to two-day judicial custody in May 2014 after he refused to furnish the bail amount of Rs. 10,000. With their leader in Tihar, party members and AAP supporters gathered outside the high-security jail to protest against the arrest and clashed with the police.