ED issues 5th summons to Kejriwal
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has once again summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning in the ongoing Delhi excise policy money laundering case. This marks the fifth time the federal agency has called Kejriwal, the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), to appear. Notably, Kejriwal has previously skipped all four prior summonses issued over the past four months.
While it is understood that the fresh summons was for February 2, an official confirmation was awaited.
The 55-year-old politician, a former IRS officer, was called on earlier dates like January 18 and January 3 and December 21 and November 2 in 2023.
He has always called these notices “illegal”.
By issuing the fresh notice, the ED has again rejected Kejriwal’s contention that the summons issued to him were “not in consonance with the law” and hence should be withdrawn.
Kejriwal’s name has been mentioned multiple times in charge sheets filed by the ED in the case. The agency has said that the accused were in touch with him regarding the preparation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh apart from communications in-charge of the party Vijay Nair and some businessmen have been arrested in this case by the ED till now.
The ED had claimed in its charge sheet that the AAP used “proceeds of crime” to the tune of about Rs 45 crore in its Goa election campaign.
The agency is also expected to file a fresh supplementary charge sheet in the case and may name the AAP as a “beneficiary” of the alleged kickbacks that were generated through the excise policy.
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 Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
WITH AGENCIES INPUTS
