ED Issues Fourth Summons To Kejriwal In Delhi Excise Policy Case For Jan 18
NEW DELHI, Jan 13: 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 at its headquarters here on January 18, they said.
According to AAP sources, Kejriwal is supposed to be in Goa for a three-day visit from January 18 to 20 to take stock of his partyโs preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The 55-year-old leader had refused to depose before the ED for the third time on January 3, saying the โnon-disclosure and non-response approachโ of the agency could not sustain the test of law, equity or justice and its โobstinacyโ was 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.
By issuing the fresh notice, the ED has again rejected Kejriwalโs contention that the summons issued to him were โnot in consonance with the lawโ and hence should be withdrawn.
The agency, according to the sources, believes that the summonses sent to Kejriwal were โwell within the PMLA procedures and lawโ.
Kejriwalโs 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.
The ED is expected to file a fresh supplementary charge sheet in the case and may name the AAP as a โbeneficiaryโ of the alleged kickbacks that were generated through the excise policy.
It is alleged that the Delhi governmentโs 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). (Agencies)
