The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Wednesday issued a summons to Arvind Kejriwal on February 17 in connection with the Enforcement Directorate's complaint over non-compliance of summons. Earlier today, the court heard the ED's complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly failing to comply with the agency's summons in a money laundering case related to the liquor policy.
Delhi's Chief Minister has so far ignored five summons issued by the probe agency on February 2nd, January 18, January 3, November 2, and December 22, dismissing them as "illegal and politically motivated".
Following Arvind Kejriwal's fifth consecutive absence from the Enforcement Directorate's summons, the agency lodged a complaint against him on Saturday.
The ED initiated legal action on February 3, when the court reviewed certain submissions and scheduled the next hearing for February 7, to address the remaining submissions and considerations in the case.
What Is The Case?
The Delhi government had implemented the new excise policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.
According to the investigating agencies, the profit margin of wholesalers was increased from five per cent to 12 per cent under the new policy.
The probe agencies have alleged that the new policy resulted in cartelisation and those ineligible for liquor licences were favoured for monetary benefits. However, the AAP-led Delhi government has denied any wrongdoing and said the new policy would have led to an increase in the city government's revenue.
AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, party's Sanjay Singh, and Satyendar Jain are the biggest arrests in the case being probed by ED.
Why Kejriwal Refuses To Join The Investigation?
Arvind Kejriwal has refused to comply with the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summons, alleging that the summons had been issued at the behest of the BJP and appeared to be “in the nature of a fishing and roving inquiry” by the ED.
He previously stated that it was unclear whether he had been summoned "as a witness or a suspect" or "whether I am being summoned as an individual or in my official capacity as Chief Minister of Delhi or as National Convenor of AAP".
After being summoned five times, the Aam Aadmi Party called the ED's summons to the Delhi Chief Minister "unlawful".
"Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will not appear before ED today as well. We will comply with the lawful summons," the AAP said when Kejriwal skipped the fifth ED notice on February 2.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aim is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal and topple the Delhi government. We will not allow this to happen."
What is the Enforcement Directorate (ED)?
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is India's domestic law enforcement and economic intelligence agency, in charge of executing economic laws and combating economic crimes.
The Enforcement Directorate investigates and prosecutes crimes involving money laundering, foreign exchange breaches, corruption, and economic offences
