Delhi court acquits Arvind Kejriwal over skipping ED summons in excise policy matter

A Delhi court on Thursday acquitted former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in two cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking action against him for skipping the agency's summons in the excise policy case.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Paras Dalal of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order.

A detailed copy of the judgement is awaited.

The ED moved the Court in February 2024 against Kejriwal for his non-compliance with the summons issued by the agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kejriwal had chosen not to appear before the central agency despite issuance of the five summons to him on different dates in connection with the probe into the alleged scam.

The ED’s probe into money laundering contentions stems from a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 17, 2022, in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22. 

The CBI case was registered on a complaint made by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on July 20, 2022. 

The ED subsequently registered a case on the money laundering angle against the accused persons on August 22, 2022.

Kejriwal was later arrested in the main case and was ultimately granted bail by the Supreme Court.