Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, would not appear before the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) for interrogation in connection with an excise policy issue relating to money laundering, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) officials said Monday.
The AAP termed the ED summons as ‘illegal’, claiming that the validity of the summons is now being litigated in court.
“ED itself has gone to court. Instead of sending summons again and again, ED should wait for the court’s decision,” a party source said.
On February 2, Kejriwal skipped the ED’s summons for the fifth time in connection with the money laundering investigation into irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22 case.
On February 17, Kejriwal appeared in Rouse Avenue Court via video conference following the ED’s complaint about his purported noncompliance with its summons.
Kejriwal, while appearing virtually, said the court that he wished to attend the court proceedings in person, but was unable to do so due to the confidence motion and budget sessions.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra granted Kejriwal’s exemption plea on Saturday and scheduled his physical appearance in court for March 16, 2024.
The ED has filed a new complaint case under Sections 190 (1)(a) and 200 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 63 (4) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for non-attendance in compliance with Section 50 of the PMLA.
According to the ED, the agency intended to record Kejriwal’s statement in the case about policy formation, discussions held before it was finalized, and charges of bribery.
The ED alleged in its sixth charge sheet filed in the case on December 2, 2023, citing AAP leader Sanjay Singh and his aide Sarvesh Mishra, that the AAP used kickbacks worth Rs 45 crore generated under the scheme as part of their Goa assembly election campaign in 2022.
The excise policy attempted to revitalize the city’s struggling liquor industry by substituting a sales-volume-based system with a license charge for merchants. It promised swankier stores and an improved shopping experience. For the first time in Delhi, the policy included discounts and special offers on booze purchases.
Two prominent AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are already in judicial detention in the case.
The CBI arrested Sisodia, the then Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister, on February 26 after multiple rounds of questioning. On October 5, the ED arrested Singh, a Rajya Sabha member.