Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is set to miss the Enforcement Directorate’s summons for the fifth time, relating to the money laundering probe linked to irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22. This new summons comes after Kejriwal skipped the fourth one on January 18. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) labeled the fifth summons as “unlawful” and emphasized their intention to comply with lawful ones, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to arrest Kejriwal and destabilize the Delhi government.
Having already avoided four previous summons, Kejriwal, on January 18, January 3, November 2, and December 22, deemed them “illegal and politically motivated.” The ED seeks to record Kejriwal’s statement on aspects like policy formulation, pre-finalization meetings, and bribery allegations. Kejriwal, while skipping the fourth summons, asserted his readiness to cooperate but claimed the agency’s intention was to arrest him and hinder his election campaigning.
Kejriwal stated, “All four notices sent to me (by the ED) are illegal and invalid in the eyes of the law. These notices are being sent as part of a political conspiracy.” The case revolves around irregularities in the Delhi excise policy (2021-22), withdrawn after corruption allegations. In its sixth charge sheet filed on December 2, 2023, the ED alleges that the AAP used kickbacks worth Rs 45 crore from the policy in its campaign for the Goa assembly elections in 2022.
The excise policy aimed at revitalizing Delhi’s liquor business, introducing a license fee system, and providing discounts on liquor purchases. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s probe into alleged irregularities led to the policy’s cancellation. Two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are already under judicial custody in the case, with Sisodia arrested by the CBI on February 26 and Singh arrested by the ED on October 5.