Delhi Court Grants Time To Kejriwal To File Response In Case Of Evading Summonses

A Delhi court on Wednesday granted time to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to file response to the replies filed by the ED on his two petitions seeking revision against an order on allegedly evading the agency's summonses in the excise policy case.

Kejriwal had approached the special court against an order passed by a magisterial court summoning him on a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly evading the agency's summonses in the case.

Special Judge Rakesh Syal on Wednesday granted two weeks to Kejriwal to file rejoinder on the ED's reply on the AAP convener's appeals.

The court's directions came after Kejriwal's lawyers sought time, saying they could not get instructions from him as he has been arrested by the ED in the case.

"Counsel for the petitioner submits that they have to file rejoinder to the reply filed by the ED. However, they have not been able to take instructions from the petitioner, who is in JC (judicial custody), as there are over 30 cases, pertaining to the petitioner, pending in various courts in India. Heard. Let the rejoinder be filed before the next date," the judge said.

The court will now hear the plea on May 14.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21. He is currently lodged in the Tihar jail, Delhi.

The Delhi chief minister had challenged the summons issued by the magisterial court after taking cognisance of two complaints filed by the ED for evading summonses issued to him.

The ED filed a complaint before the magisterial court seeking prosecution of Kejriwal for skipping multiple summonses issued to him in the case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.