ED summons miss: Delhi court tells CM Kejriwal to appear physically on Mar 16

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned by a Delhi court to appear physically on March 16 after the ED sought his prosecution for skipping multiple summons regarding the now axed Delhi excise policy.

The latest complaint from the Enforcement Directorate pertains to Kejriwal not honouring the summons sent under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kejriwal flays Modi

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Divya Malhotra has listed the matter for hearing on March 16.

In a post on X, Kejriwal, 55, hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that opposition leaders were being forced to join the BJP by "harassing" them through the ED.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader said the notices being sent to him would stop if he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

‘BJP or jail?’

"ED raids are conducted asking where will you go — BJP or jail? Those who refuse to join the BJP are sent to jail. Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh will get bail tomorrow if they join the BJP today... Even I will stop getting ED summons if I join the BJP now," he said.

The chief minister also said that time was very powerful and keeps changing.

The AAP said several court rulings have repeatedly held that the ED must inform in what capacity a person is being summoned.

"Unfortunately, the central government refuses to follow court orders and considers itself above the law," it said.

ED’s plea

The ED earlier moved a court seeking Kejriwal's prosecution for not attending the first three summons issued to him in the money laundering case linked to the excise policy. The Delhi CM has so far skipped eight summonses from the ED in the case.

Kejriwal has called all the ED summonses "illegal". He told the agency last time that he could be questioned via a videoconferencing link after March 12.

"We have not done anything wrong nor are we trying to hide," he said.

ED complaint

The ED’s fresh complaint has been filed under the Indian Penal Code and PMLA.

Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in charge sheets filed by the ED in the excise policy case. It said the accused were in touch with Kejriwal regarding the preparation of the excise policy for 2021-22.

So far, the ED has arrested AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, party communications in-charge Vijay Nair and some liquor businessmen in the case.

Liquor policy

The ED had claimed that the AAP used "proceeds of crime" to the tune of about Rs 45 crore in its Goa Assembly election campaign.

It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP.

The policy was scrapped and Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the irregularities in its formulation and implementation. Later, the ED registered a case under the PMLA.