ED summons to Arvind Kejriwal for questioning in Delhi excise policy case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal for the second time for questioning in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. Arvind Kejriwal has been asked to appear before the law enforcement agency on December 21.

Arvind Kejriwal was first called by the ED on November 2 but Arvind Kejriwal did not depose before the agency, saying the summons were "vague, motivated and unsustainable in law". He, instead, decided to hold an election roadshow in Madhya Pradesh ahead of the polls.

In response to a summons from the Central probe agency, Arvind Kejriwal questioned the legality of the summons and demanded the ED to withdraw the notice. Arvind Kejriwal also alleged that ED notice was “politically motivated" to stop him from campaigning in the upcoming elections.

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“The summon notice is illegal and politically motivated. The notice was sent at the behest of the BJP. Notice was sent to ensure that I am unable to go for election campaigning in four states. ED should withdraw the notice immediately,” Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet.

It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case, following which the ED registered a case under the PMLA.

Arvind Kejriwal is the fifth AAP leader who has been embroiled in a legal controversy after Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Sanjay Singh and Raaj Kumar Anand who was also raided in November first week. Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are currently under arrest in the Delhi liquor policy case.

Delhi government officials had on Saturday said that Arvind Kejriwal will leave for a 10-day Vipassana meditation course at an undisclosed location on December 19.