ED Summons Delhi CM Kejriwal for the Fourth Time in Delhi Excise Policy Money Laundering Case
Press Trust of Kashmir
NEW DELHI : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a fourth summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, according to official sources. Kejriwal, also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is required to appear before the agency at its headquarters in Delhi on January 18.
Despite being summoned earlier on November 2 and December 21, 2023, Kejriwal, aged 55, had refused to depose before the ED for the third time on January 3. He argued that the agency’s “non-disclosure and non-response approach” lacked legal standing and accused them of assuming the role of judge, jury, and executioner.
In response to Kejriwal’s objections, the ED has maintained that the summonses are well within the procedures of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency alleges Kejriwal’s involvement in the scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, with his name appearing in multiple charge sheets.
The ED is expected to file a fresh supplementary charge sheet and may implicate the AAP as a “beneficiary” of alleged kickbacks generated through the excise policy. The case revolves around accusations that the policy allowed cartelisation and favored specific liquor traders who allegedly paid bribes. The AAP has consistently denied these charges.
As the political landscape becomes intertwined with legal proceedings, Kejriwal’s upcoming appearance before the ED on January 18 adds a new chapter to the unfolding saga, raising questions about the nexus between political decisions and financial implications in the Delhi excise policy controversy.
