Delhi Excise Policy scam: Delhi court issues summons to Arvind Kejriwal

A Delhi court on Thursday issued summons to Arvind Kejriwal in connection with a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claiming that the Delhi Chief Minister was not appearing before the agency despite its summons to Kejriwal in the money laundering case connected to Delhi Excise Policy scam [Directorate of Enforcement (ED) v Arvind Kejriwal]..Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Divya Malhotra of Rouse Avenue Court issued the summons and asked Kejriwal to remain present before the Court on March 16. .ED filed a fresh complaint case against Kejriwal on March 6 arguing that he was summoned a number of times to appear before the probe agency for questioning in relation to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam but he has refused to comply. The fresh complaint was filed after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor refused to appear before the ED on March 4 for the eighth time. He was first summoned on November 2, 2023. Kejriwal had termed the ED's summons as “illegal” and “politically motivated". .[Delhi Excise Policy case] Arvind Kejriwal was legally bound to comply with ED summons: Delhi court.Notably, this is ED's second complaint case against Kejriwal. The federal anti-money laundering agency had on February 3, 2024 also filed a case against Kejriwal. He has been issued summons by the Court in that case and is likely to appear personally on March 16. .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.It has been alleged that a criminal conspiracy was hatched by AAP leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia and other unidentified and unnamed private persons/entities during the stage of the policy’s formulation.The conspiracy, it has been alleged, stemmed from some of the loopholes “intentionally” left or created in the policy. These were allegedly meant to favour some licensees and conspirators post the tender process.Kickbacks are alleged to have been paid through hawala channels by a few persons in the liquor business from South India to some public servants of the AAP to achieve the objectives of “monopoly and cartelisation” among liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, according to the central agencies.Senior AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are already in custody in the same case.