Delhi excise ‘scam’: ED complaint against Kejriwal for not responding to summons

PTI, Feb 4, 2024, 8:20 AM IST

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday filed a complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a court here for not appearing before it in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam despite being summoned five times.

The complaint was filed before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra, who put up the matter for further hearing on February 7.”Fresh complaint case for non-attendance in compliance of Section 50, PMLA, 2002, received by way of assignment,” the judge noted.

The judge heard the part arguments and adjourned the matter.

”This is a fresh complaint case. Submissions heard. Put up for remaining submissions/ consideration on February 7, 2024,” the judge said.

Kejriwal on Friday skipped the fifth summons, which the ED issued to him on Wednesday. He had chosen not to appear before the federal anti-money laundering agency in spite of four earlier summonses over the last four months, calling them illegal.

Kejriwal, also the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor, does not hold any ministerial portfolio in the city government.

The politician had earlier written a letter to the ED terming the summonses as ”illegal and politically motivated”. He alleged they were aimed at preventing him from campaigning in elections.

The AAP claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi was trying to topple the Kejriwal government.

Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody over their involvement in alleged irregularities in formulation and implementation of the excise policy.