Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned by the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court, set for February 17, in response to a complaint filed by the ED.
The ED alleges that Kejriwal has failed to comply with their orders related to the ongoing investigation into the Delhi Liquor Excise policy for the year 2021-22.
The complaint, presented before the court on Wednesday, highlights that Kejriwal has ignored five summons issued by the ED on various dates – November 2, 2023, December 22, 2023, January 3, 2024, January 18, and February 2.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra acknowledged the ED’s complaint and stated that summonses are now being issued to Kejriwal.
Kejriwal’s previous justifications for skipping the summons included other work commitments and a vipassana session in 2023. However, during the latest instance, he was present in Delhi and persisted in labeling the summons as illegal and politically motivated.
The Enforcement Directorate, a central probe agency, recently lodged a fresh complaint against Kejriwal, emphasizing that as a public servant, he cannot disregard the directives of a government agency.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has condemned the ED’s actions as politically motivated, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to arrest Kejriwal and destabilize the Delhi government.
In addition to the alleged liquor scam, the ED is investigating a case involving the Delhi Jal Board. Recently, raids were conducted at 12 locations, including those linked to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal secretary Bibhav Kumar and AAP’s Rajya Sabha member ND Gupta.
Kejriwal now has the option to challenge the Rouse Avenue court order, seeking a stay or relief from personal appearance by representing himself through a lawyer.