ED may issue seventh summons for Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi excise policy case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to issue another summons for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after he skipped the sixth summons on Monday. Kejriwal skipped all the six summonses issued by the agency in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. 

According to a report in news agency PTI, sources revealed that a local court has prima facie held Kejriwal guilty of “disobeying” the earlier summonses, warranting the seventh summons. 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that the ED should wait for the court’s decision instead of repeatedly sending summonses to the CM. 

This comes after a Delhi court granted exemption to Kejriwal from personal appearance due to the ongoing Budget in the Delhi assembly. The court posted the matter for March 16, and Kejriwal’s counsel assured of the CM’s physical presence at the court that day. 

ED sources said that the agency filed a complaint before the court under Section 174 of IPC against Kejriwal for “intentionally disobeying” the first three summons issued to him. As per the sources, the court has taken cognisance of the same and prima facie accepted that the Delhi CM has committed an office for which he is liable to be prosecuted. They said that the question before the court is not about the validity of the summons but the illegal act on part of Kejriwal disobeying the summons. 

Multiple references to Kejriwal have been found in the ED's charge sheets for the case. These charge sheet indicates that the accused were communicating with him about the now-cancelled Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

The ED has accused the AAP of using around Rs 45 crore from 'proceeds of crime' for their Goa election campaign. The agency is also planning to issue a new supplementary charge sheet, possibly naming the AAP as a 'beneficiary' of alleged kickbacks from the excise policy. 

The Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which granted licenses to liquor traders, is accused of enabling cartelisation and favouring certain dealers who allegedly bribed for it. 

However, the AAP has consistently denied these charges. The policy was later cancelled, and Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe. Following this, the ED filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Also read: Arvind Kejriwal skips ED’s sixth summons in excise policy case; matter in court