Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has once again been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the liquor policy scam case. This marks the sixth summons issued to the Delhi CM in relation to the ongoing investigation.
Kejriwal has been called upon to appear before the agency at its headquarters in the national capital. Despite being summoned five times earlier, the Chief Minister has not joined the investigation thus far. This move comes amidst the incarceration of two senior party leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, in connection with the same case.
A Delhi court, on February 7, had directed Kejriwal to appear before it on February 17 following a complaint filed by the ED for his failure to attend previous summonses related to an excise policy-linked case. The court noted prima facie evidence suggesting that Kejriwal was “legally bound” to comply with the summonses.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra emphasized Kejriwal’s purported failure to appear before the investigating agency, summoning him for the offence under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) regarding non-attendance in obedience to an order from a public servant.
The ED has alleged that Kejriwal intentionally evaded summons and provided “lame excuses,” thus failing to adhere to legal obligations. The agency stated that such actions by a high-ranking public official would set a detrimental example for the common citizens.
Kejriwal, in response, has labeled the summonses as “illegal and politically motivated,” asserting that they were designed to impede his election campaign activities.
The ED maintains that further investigation is ongoing to ascertain the involvement of other individuals, including Kejriwal, in the case. The agency has accused Kejriwal of deliberately disobeying the summonses, constituting separate offences with each instance of non-compliance.
The complaint further elaborates that Kejriwal’s actions on October 30, December 18, and December 22, 2023, amounted to separate offences, with the possibility of another complaint for evading summons on January 12, 2024.
The ED’s investigation revolves around allegations concerning the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which purportedly facilitated cartelisation and favored specific liquor traders who allegedly engaged in bribery. The AAP has vehemently denied these accusations.
The policy was subsequently annulled, and a CBI probe was recommended by the Delhi lieutenant governor. Following this, the ED initiated a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The repeated summonses and legal proceedings against Kejriwal underscore the intensifying scrutiny surrounding the liquor policy scandal, heightening political tensions in the region.
