ED issues fourth summon to Kejriwal in Delhi excise policy case for Jan 18

The Enforcement Directorate has issued summons for the fourth time to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, official sources said on Saturday.

Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has been asked to depose before the agency on January 18, they said.

The 55-year-old Kejriwal had refused to depose before the ED for the third time on January 3, saying the "non-disclosure and non-response approach" of the agency cannot sustain the test of law, equity or justice and its "obstinacy" is tantamount to assuming the role of judge, jury and executioner.

The chief minister was earlier asked to depose on November 2 and December 21 in 2023.

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 AAP.

The policy was subsequently scrapped and Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).