Delhi Excise policy case
Delhi Excise policy case : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has again summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning over Excise policy ‘scam’. This is the eighth time that Prime Minister Kejriwal has been summoned by the defense ministry in connection with a money laundering case related to the “fraudulent” excise policy.
Kejriwal, 55, on Monday evaded the seventh summons, saying he would appear before the authorities if the court asked him to do so. Kejriwal alleged that the summons was a tool to pressure him into leaving the INDIA block.
The ED had recently filed a fresh charge sheet against Kejriwal in a Delhi court for failing to comply with the summons in the case. Delhi court then directed the chief minister to appear before the court on March 16.
Delhi Excise policy case : AAP said in a statement that inspectors should wait for orders instead of issuing repeated summonses. “We all know why the ED is now in such a desperate situation. The matter is already in court (March 16)… Why can’t the ED wait for the court’s decision? …They (BJP) want us.” .Either we leave the Union of India or we see him (Arvind Kejriwal) in jail… We will not leave the INDIA alliance no matter what…”said AAP leader Dilip Pandey on Tuesday.
However, the 8th Summons Enforcement Directorate rejected the argument that the fresh notice for Kejriwal’s appearance was wrong as it was a judicial matter, news agency PTI reported.
On February 14, the ED issued a sixth summons to the Delhi Chief Minister in a money laundering case related to irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and asked him to join the probe on February 19.
On February 2, a fresh summons was sent to the Delhi Chief Minister, bypassing the fifth summons.
Delhi Excise policy case : Arvind Kejriwal had earlier rejected five previous ED summons dated February 2, January 18, January 3, November 2 and December 22 as “illegal and politically motivated”. He had also written to the ED seeking their withdrawal.
Delhi Excise policy case : Kejriwal’s name has appeared several times in the charge sheet filed by the law enforcement agencies in the case. The agency said the accused had contacted it regarding the formulation of Delhi’s excise policy for 2021-22. In the charge sheet, the ED said the Aam Aadmi Party used “proceeds of crime” worth about ₹ 45 crore in its election campaign in Goa.
The Delhi government’s 2021-22 excise policy has been accused of allowing liquor vendors to be licensed and favoring some vendors who allegedly paid bribes. The Aam Aadmi Party has repeatedly denied the allegation.
Delhi Excise policy case : Aam Aadmi Party leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and party PR officer Vijay Nair have been arrested by law enforcement agencies in connection with the case.
Also read Three new penal laws: What changes, what are some key takeaways?
