CM Kejriwal Gets Bail On ED Complaints Over Non-Compliance Of Summons In Excise Policy Case
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been granted bail on Saturday by the Rouse Avenue court against his arrest for continuously skipping the Enforcement Directorate’s summons related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The court asked him to pay the personal bond of Rs 15,000 and a security bond of Rs 1 lakh to get the bail.
Rouse Avenue Court’s ACMM Divya Malhotra grants bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in both complaints filed by ED. https://t.co/LNXy0Uig0G
— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2024
Notably, CM Kejriwal violated section 134 of the IPC – disobeying a legal order – when he continuously skipped the ED’s summons related to the alleged liquor policy scam. The Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court summoned CM Kejriwal after the central agency filed complaints that he is not supporting in the ongoing probe and not coming for questioning in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. The Delhi CM skipped eight summons issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The AAP chief will not have to physically present for the next hearing of the case which is scheduled on April 1. On Friday, a Sessions Court of Rouse Avenue court refused to stay the summons issued to the Delhi Chief Minister based on complaints filed by the central agency for continuously skipping summons in a money laundering case in connection with alleged liquor policy case.
Additional session judge Rakesh Syal gave his direction to the Delhi CM to present before the metropolitan magistrate in order to get an exemption to appear in front of the probe agency, PTI reported.
Earlier, CM Arvind Kejriwal moved to Delhi’s sessions court against the order passed by additional chief metropolitan magistrate directing him to physically appear before the court on March 16.
Notably, the Enforcement Directorate has filed two complaints before the court seeking the Delhi CM’s prosecution for skipping multiple summons. The central agency wants to record his statement in connection to the excise policy and allegation of bribery. But CM Kejriwal, till date, skipped eight summons – March 4, February 26, February 19, February 2, January 18, January 3, and December 22 and November 2 last year.
Delhi Excise Policy Case
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Kejriwal, the Delhi government rolled out excise policy in 2021-22, aimed at bolstering the city’s alcohol market. This marked a shift from focusing on sales volume to levying licensing fees on traders, complemented with a grand promise of revamping stores for an elevated shopping experience. Unfortunately, the policy hit a roadblock due to corruption allegations made by VK Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, resulting in its annulment and the initiation of a detailed CBI probe.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) suggested that the Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had reportedly received a handsome kickback of Rs 100 crores for sealing the excise policy. The ED pointed out that a substantial part of this illicit earning was put to use for financing the party’s political campaign in Goa. The investigative agency’s filing unveiled the involvement of an entity known as the ‘South Group’ in these alleged malpractices.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the agency has arrested two high-ranking AAP leaders so far – Manish Sisodia, the erstwhile Deputy CM of Delhi was apprehended on February 26 of the previous year, while Sanjay Singh was taken into custody on the 5th of October.
