Excise case: CM Arvind Kejriwal moves Delhi HC against summons in money laundering probe

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court challenging the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

The petition of the AAP national convenor, who has been asked to appear before the agency on March 21, is listed for hearing on Wednesday before a bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain.

He has moved the court against the latest summons, the ninth issued by the ED asking him to appearing before it for questioning under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kejriwal has repeatedly refused to appear in response to these summonses, calling them illegal.

The case pertains to alleged corruption in formulating and executing the city government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped.

Following a recommendation by Lt Governor V K Saxena, the CBI registered an FIR over alleged corruption which subsequently resulted in the money laundering probe.

The agencies have claimed that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders.

AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in the case.

Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in the charge sheets filed by the ED in the excise policy case. The agency has alleged that the accused were in touch with Kejriwal for formulating the excise policy that resulted in undue benefits for them in return for which they paid kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party.

A Delhi court had on Saturday granted bail to Kejriwal on two complaints filed by the ED against him for skipping six of the previous eight summonses in the money laundering case.