ED issues seventh summons to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in excise policy case

While issuing the summons, ED has also rejected Kejriwal's contention that the agency should wait for the court's decision instead of repeatedly sending summonses

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday issued summons for the seventh time to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy-linked money laundering case and asked him to appear before it on February 26 for questioning, according to a report by PTI.

While issuing the summons, ED has also rejected Kejriwal's contention that the agency should wait for the court's decision instead of repeatedly sending summons. The summons have been issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had recently filed a fresh complaint against the 55-year-old national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for disobeying its summons in this case. The Rouse Avenue court listed the matter for further hearing on March 16 as it exempted him from a personal appearance last week.

The court also said that from the contents of the complaint and the material placed on record (by the ED), a prima facie offence under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) is made out, and there are sufficient grounds for proceeding against the accused (Kejriwal).

The PTI report said that the ED believes that the local court has prima facie held Kejriwal guilty of "disobeying" the earlier notices issued to him in this case, warranting the seventh summons.

"The question in front of the court is not about the validity of the summons but rather the illegal act on the part of Kejriwal of intentionally disobeying the said three summons," sources were quoted as saying in the report.

Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in charge sheets filed by the ED in the case. The agency has said that the accused were in touch with him regarding the preparation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, apart from communications in-charge of the party Vijay Nair, have been arrested in this case by the ED till now.

The ED had claimed in its charge sheet that the AAP used "proceeds of crime" to the tune of about Rs 45 crore in its Goa election campaign.

The agency is also expected to file a fresh supplementary charge sheet in the case and may name the AAP as a "beneficiary" of the alleged kickbacks that were generated through the excise policy.

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 PMLA.

(With agency inputs)