The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today issued the seventh summons to Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, instructing him to appear for questioning on February 26 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

This development follows Kejriwal’s absence at the anti-corruption agency’s sixth summons, citing the matter’s pending status in court. AAP stated, “Instead of sending repeated summons, the ED should wait for the Court’s verdict.”

In response, the ED claimed that a local court had found Kejriwal prima facie guilty of “disobeying” earlier notices, justifying the issuance of the seventh summons.

The ED clarified that the issue before the court is not about the summons’ validity but Kejriwal’s alleged intentional disobedience of the earlier notices.

Earlier, on February 17, Kejriwal expressed his inability to appear before the court due to legislative commitments, seeking a later hearing. The court obliged, scheduling the next hearing for March 16.

The ED’s sixth summons, sent on February 14, required Kejriwal’s presence at its headquarters on February 19.

Sources within the agency revealed the filing of a complaint under IPC Section 174 against Kejriwal for allegedly disobeying the first three summons, which the court has acknowledged, suggesting an offense.

The excise policy under scrutiny was implemented by the Delhi government on November 17, 2021, and subsequently revoked in September 2022 amid corruption allegations. Investigations suggest increased profit margins for wholesalers under the new policy, sparking allegations of favoritism and cartelization.

The AAP-led Delhi government and Manish Sisodia have denied any wrongdoing, asserting the policy aimed to boost revenue shares.

ED aims to interrogate Kejriwal regarding the policy formulation, pre-implementation meetings, and bribery allegations.