New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has sent seventh summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday to appear before the central agency. He has been asked to to appear before the ED on February 26, news agency reported citing sources. On February 14, the central agency had issued sixth summon to the Delhi Chief Minister in the Excise Policy 2021-22 case, asking him to join the investigation on February 19.
CM Kejriwal skipped the sixth summon related to questioning in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy matter, with his party terming the summons as “illegal”.
Earlier, the Rouse Avenue court had granted exemption to Kejriwal from personal appearance for the day in connection with the complaint filed by the central agency. The application moved by Kejriwal’s counsel stated that the Budget Session of the Delhi assembly commenced on February 15 and shall continue till the first week of March. He will physically appear before the court on the next date of hearing on March 16, it said.
What is Delhi Liquor Policy
The central agency alleged that the excise policy by the Delhi Government to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who allegedly paid bribes. However, the allegation that was repeatedly refuted by the AAP.
Notably, the excise policy was scrapped by the Delhi Government after Delhi LG V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in its implementation. Folling this, the CBI, the ED also registered a case under the PMLA in the matter.
Two senior AAP leaders — Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh — are already under judicial custody in the case. Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning and on October 5, the ED arrested Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member.
