In the ongoing saga surrounding the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his steadfast refusal to comply, a Delhi court has now directed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to appear before it on March 16.
This latest summons is a result of the central agency’s determination to question Mr. Kejriwal regarding the Delhi excise policy case. The ED informed the court that the Chief Minister had ignored numerous summonses issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Mr. Kejriwal has chosen not to respond to eight summonses issued by the ED, alleging that the Narendra Modi government is exploiting central agencies like the ED to target opposition leaders.
The most recent summons from the agency was issued in late February, setting March 4 as the date for questioning. Dismissing the summons as “illegal,” the AAP leader expressed readiness to appear before the agency via video-conferencing. However, the ED insisted on a physical appearance, citing the absence of provisions for questioning via video-conferencing.
The ED had previously arrested two prominent AAP leaders, former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, in connection with the money laundering case related to Delhi’s now-abandoned excise policy.
Mr. Kejriwal’s name has been recurrently mentioned in charge sheets filed by the ED. The agency contends that the individuals implicated in the case were in communication with the Chief Minister during the formulation of the excise policy.
