ED may issue fresh summons to Kejriwal in excise policy case

PTI, Jan 4, 2024, 9:56 AM IST

The Enforcement Directorate is examining the reply sent by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding his refusal to appear before the agency and may issue its fourth summons to him to join the investigation in the alleged excise policy case, official sources said Thursday.

The 55-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor had refused to depose before the ED for the third time on Wednesday, saying the ”non-disclosure and non-response approach” of the agency cannot sustain the test of law, equity or justice and this ”obstinacy” of the ED tantamounts to assuming the role of judge, jury and executioner.

The sources said the ED is currently examining Kejriwal’s five-page reply sent to the investigating officer of the case on Wednesday and may reject his charges of calling the summons illegal.

The agency may issue its fourth summons to Kejriwal as per provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

He was earlier asked to depose on November 2 and December 21 in 2023 and January 3 this year.

AAP leader Atishi and some other party leaders had on Wednesday night posted on ‘X’ that the ED might raid Kejriwal’s residence and arrest him.

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 the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the PMLA.