Delhi Excise Policy Case: Arvind Kejriwal Summoned by Court on March 16 Following ED Action

Delhi Excise Policy Case: Arvind Kejriwal Summoned by Court on March 16 Following ED Action

A fresh summons to appear in person on March 16 was served to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court. This follows the Enforcement Directorate’s recent court filing of a new lawsuit demanding that the AAP leader face legal action for allegedly shirking many summonses he received about the now-canceled Delhi excise policy. The most recent complaint concerns Arvind Kejriwal’s failure to comply with federal probe agency summonses number four through eight issued by Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case was scheduled for hearing on Thursday by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Divya Malhotra’s court.

In a post on X, Arvind Kejriwal criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the ED was being used to “harass” opposition leaders into backing the BJP. The national convenor of the AAP stated that if he joined the BJP, he would no longer receive notices. In a previous court filing, the Enforcement Department (ED) requested that Arvind Kejriwal be prosecuted for failing to appear for the first three summonses he received in connection with the now-canceled Delhi excise policy money laundering case. This case (about summonses nos. 1 through 3) has been scheduled for hearing by ACMM Malhotra’s court on March 16, according to a report by a news agency.

55-year-old Arvind Kejriwal has referred to all ED summonses as “illegal.” If he had previously notified the agency, he might be questioned after March 12 using a videoconference link. When the ED issued its ninth summons on March 4, the day he was asked to join the probe, he said, “We have not done anything wrong, nor are we trying to hide,” at a press conference. By Section 50 (authorities to summon, produce documents, and give evidence, among other things) of the PMLA, the ED has filed a new complaint under Section 174 (non-attendance in obedience to an order from a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with Section 63(4) of the PMLA, which refers to “a person who intentionally disobeys any direction” along with Sections 190(1)(a) (receiving a complaint of facts which constitute such an offense) and 200 (evidence of witnesses under oath) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

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The ED also pursued similar measures against Hemant Soren, the former chief minister of Jharkhand, who was imprisoned. The JMM head was asked to appear on April 3 by a Ranchi court, which found him prima facie guilty of ignoring notices sent to him by the organization. Kejriwal is mentioned multiple times in the charge sheets filed by the ED in the excise policy case. According to the agency, the accused communicated with Kejriwal on the development of the excise policy for 2021–2022. AAP officials Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, party communications head Vijay Nair, and a few liquor merchants have all been taken into custody by the ED thus far. In its charge sheet, the ED asserted that the AAP had spent approximately ₹45 crore on “proceeds of crime” during the Goa assembly polls campaign. The chief minister also mentioned how strong and ever-changing time is. The AAP stated that several court decisions have consistently maintained that the ED is required to disclose the reason for a person’s summons. “Unfortunately, the central government refuses to follow court orders and considers itself above the law,” added the statement.