Delhi Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday summoned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on February 17, taking cognizance of the Enforcement Directorate’s complaint.
The ED had approached the court against the Delhi Chief Minister for not complying with the summons issued by the central investigation agency in the Delhi liquor policy money laundering case.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra has passed the order. Arvind Kejriwal can challenge the Rouse Avenue court order to stay it or can seek relief from personal appearance in the court and appear through a lawyer.
Arvind Kejriwal on February 2 skipped the Enforcement Directorate’s summons for the fifth time in connection to the money laundering probe concerned with the irregularities in Delhi excise policy 2021-22 case. While skipping the fifth summons, the Aam Aadmi Party leader called it unlawful.
So far, the Delhi Chief Minister has skipped four previous summons issued by the ED on January 18, January 3, November 2, and December 22, calling them illegal and politically motivated.
As per the Enforcement Directorate, the nodal agency wants to record Arvind Kejriwal’s statement in the case on issues like the formulation of policy, meetings held before it was finalized and allegations of bribery.
The Enforcement Directorate in its sixth charge sheet lodged in the case on December 2, 2023, naming AAP leader Sanjay Singh and his aide Sarvesh Mishra, the Enforcement Directorate has claimed that the AAP used kickbacks worth Rs 45 crore generated through the policy as part of its assembly election campaign in Goa in 2022.
The Delhi excise policy was aimed at revitalizing the city’s flagging liquor business and replacing a sales- volume-based regime with a licence fee for traders. The policy promised swankier stores and a better buying experience. It also introduced discounts and offers on the purchase of liquor for the first time in Delhi.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s move to order a probe into alleged irregularities in the regime prompted the scrapping of the policy.