Delhi liquor policy case: The Delhi Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday (March 7) issued a summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to appear in person on March 16. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had approached the court with a second complaint against him for non-compliance with the summons issued in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
fresh complaint was filed after Kejriwal refused to appear before the agency on Monday for the eighth time. This recent development comes in the wake of previous legal actions taken by the Enforcement Directorate against Kejriwal for his failure to adhere to earlier summonses. The hearing for the previous complaint, related to the initial three summonses issued by the ED, is also slated for March 16.
Kejriwal ready for virtual meeting
Earlier the Delhi Chief Minister had sent a reply to the Enforcement Directorate. In a statement, Kejriwal claimed that summons is illegal but he is ready to answer. However, the federal agency refused to allow Kejriwal to appear before it through video-conferencing.
"Arvind Kejriwal has asked for a date after March 12 from ED. After that, he will attend the hearing via video conferencing," AAP said in a statement. However, the probe agency has allegedly refused to allow Kejriwal to appear before it through video-conferencing. "There is no provision for interrogation through video conferencing," stated an ED source.
Kejriwal skipped multiple summons
Kejriwal has so far skipped eight summonses issued by the Enforcement Directorate on various dates, including February 26, February 19, February 2, January 18, January 3, November 2, December 22 and March 4, labelling them as "illegal and politically motivated." The ED seeks to record Kejriwal's statement regarding policy formulation, pre-finalization meetings, and allegations of bribery in the case.
Despite the seventh summons issued by the ED, AAP, in a statement, denounced it as "illegal," urging the ED to stop sending summonses and await the court's decision. The AAP also highlighted that the probe agency has already approached the court concerning the matter.
Delhi excise policy scam
It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP. The policy was subsequently scrapped and Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
