Excise policy case: ED approaches court after Arvind Kejriwal skips five summons
Excise policy case: The Enforcement Directorate filed a complaint against Arvind Kejriwal for not complying with the summons issued by the agency in connection with the Delhi liquor policy money laundering case.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved a Delhi court against Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, for skipping five summons in connection with the excise policy case.
While taking the matter to Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court, the ED filed a complaint against Arvind Kejriwal for not complying with the summons issued by the agency in the Delhi liquor policy money laundering case, ANI reported.
According to the report, the court heard some submissions on Saturday and put up the rest of the matter for "submissions and consideration" on February 7.
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The latest development came a day after Kejriwal skipped the fifth ED summons issued to him for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged liquor policy scam.
Kejriwal, had instead, joined AAP leaders and workers in a protest near the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters on DDU Marg on Friday.
The AAP said Kejriwal will not appear before the financial probe agency for questioning and alleged that the summons issued to him was "illegal". The political party further alleged that the BJP wants to topple its government in Delhi by getting Kejriwal arrested.
"Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will not appear before ED today as well. We will comply with the lawful summons. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aim is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal and topple the Delhi government. We will not allow this to happen," the AAP was quoted by ANI as saying.
Meanwhile, a few BJP leaders took a dig at Kejriwal for not appear before the ED on Friday. Union Minister and senior BJP leader Meenakashi Lekhi said Kejriwal skipped the ED summons but went to stage "drama" in front of the BJP headquarters.
"Kejriwal is not going to the ED for questioning because he knows that corruption has been done and is trying to evade answering to the probe agency," Lekhi was quoted by PTI as saying. She also rubbished the AAP's charge that the BJP wanted to topple the Kejriwal government.
Meanwhile, North East Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said Kejriwal has skipped five summonses of the ED so far and questioned "if he wants to give the message to children of Delhi to not follow the law. Was he elected for this?"
What ED wants?
The ED wants to record Kejriwal's statement in the case on issues like the formulation of policy, meetings held before it was finalized, and allegations of bribery, ANI reported.
The case is based on a First Information Report (FIR) alleging multiple irregularities in the formation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy (2021-22) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The policy was withdrawn after allegations of corruption.
In its sixth charge sheet filed in the case on December 2, 2023, naming AAP leader Sanjay Singh and his aide Sarvesh Mishra, the ED claimed that the AAP used kickbacks worth ₹45 crore generated via the policy as part of its assembly elections campaign in Goa in 2022.
Two senior AAP leaders — Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh — are already under judicial custody in the case. Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning, and on October 5, the ED arrested Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member.
Kejriwal has so far skipped five previous summons issued by the ED. The earlier four were issued on January 18, January 3, November 2, and December 22.
(With inpits from agencies)
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Business NewsNewsIndiaExcise policy case: ED approaches court after Arvind Kejriwal skips five summons
First Published:3 Feb 2024, 07:24 PM IST
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