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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been issued a seventh summons by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), setting the stage for his appearance on February 26 in connection with the Delhi liquor excise policy case.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has once again received a summons from the Enforcement Directorate, marking the seventh time in connection with the Delhi liquor excise policy case. He had previously skipped the sixth summons on Monday, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) labeling the summons as “illegal,” and asserting that the matter is now sub judice.
Mr. Kejriwal had also missed the summons on February 2, January 31, January 19, December 21, and November 2. The AAP contends that the Chief Minister is willing to cooperate with the probe agency but questions the timing and urgency of the summons.
The AAP has criticized the ED’s actions as “politically motivated” and accused the BJP of attempting to destabilize the Delhi government by seeking Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest. While not named as an accused, the Chief Minister’s party asserts that the ED’s summons are part of a larger political agenda.
The ED is probing money laundering charges related to the Delhi liquor excise policy. The case revolves around allegations that the revamped alcohol sales policy allowed the AAP government to receive kickbacks from cartels, purportedly used to fund election expenses in various states, including Goa.
Mr. Kejriwal, citing prior commitments, has consistently ignored the ED’s summons. The probe agency approached a city court earlier this month after the Chief Minister’s repeated non-attendance. While Mr. Kejriwal remains unaccused, two senior AAP leaders, including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, have faced arrests in connection with the case.
