Excise Policy case: Arvind Kejriwal appears via VC before Delhi court citing floor test, budget session; court adjourns case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday that he will appear in person before the Court on March 16 in the case filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) against him for non-compliance with the central agency's summons in the Delhi Excise Policy case..Kejriwal joined the court proceedings through video conference today and assured that he will appear physically in court in March after the budget session of the Delhi assembly is over. He said that he could not appear physically today as the budget session is going on and there is a floor test scheduled for today as well. "Mai court aana chahta tha lekin ye ekdum se floor test aa gaya. Hamara budget session March first week tak chalega aap uske baad case laga le. Main appear ho jaaunga (I wanted to appear but this floor test came suddenly. Our budget session will go on till March first week. You can list the case after that, I will appear personally)," he said. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Divya Malhotra then adjourned the case to March 16. .Kejriwal was summoned by the Court on February 7. While holding that that the Chief Minister was prima facie legally bound to comply with ED’s summons, the judge had ordered him to appear before the Court today.The ED has filed a criminal complaint against Kejriwal after he did not appear before the central agency despite issuance of the five summons to him on different dates..[Delhi Excise Policy case] Arvind Kejriwal was legally bound to comply with ED summons: Delhi court.ED’s probe into money laundering allegations 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. 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 allegedly stemmed from some of the loopholes “intentionally” left or created in the policy to favour certain 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.Three AAP leaders Satyendra Jain, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are also accused in the scam.