Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Refuses Sixth ED Summons
Posted by admin on 2024-02-19 |
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has once again
declined to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in
the excise policy case, marking the sixth time he has skipped such summons. The
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), of which Kejriwal is the national convenor, has asserted
that the summonses issued by the ED are "illegal". Kejriwal's
decision to not comply with the summons comes amid ongoing legal proceedings,
with his counsel arguing that the matter is currently before the court, and as
such, the ED should await the court's decision rather than repeatedly summoning
Kejriwal.
The
ED had initiated a money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the
Delhi excise policy for the fiscal year 2021-22. Arvind Kejriwal was requested
to provide his statement regarding the formulation of the policy, pre-policy
meetings, and allegations of bribery. However, he has consistently declined to
appear before the ED, citing various reasons including official duties and the
ongoing legislative session in the Delhi assembly.
Kejriwal's
counsel informed the court that the Delhi Chief Minister would not be able to
appear before the ED due to his commitments during the Budget Session of the
Delhi assembly, which began on February 15 and is scheduled to continue until
the first week of March. Kejriwal has expressed his intention to physically
appear before the court on March 16, the next scheduled date of the hearing.
The
AAP has maintained that the summons issued to Kejriwal are unlawful and has
questioned the legality of the ED's actions. The party has criticized the ED's
repeated summoning of Kejriwal, labeling it as unnecessary harassment.
Additionally, the AAP has accused the ED of using the investigation for
political purposes, particularly in light of the agency's charge sheet alleging
that kickbacks from the excise policy were used in the party's election
campaign in Goa in 2022.
