Following AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s bail in the liquor policy case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned him in the Delhi Jal Board case. The summon, scheduled for Monday (March 18), has been issued under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED’s investigation pertains to alleged illegal tendering in the Delhi Jal Board and the laundering of suspected proceeds of crime.
Additionally, the ED has issued a 9th summons to Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, requiring him to appear for questioning on March 21. Kejriwal previously missed 8 summons in this case and recently obtained bail from a Delhi court.
In response to the summon regarding the Delhi Jal Board case, AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi stated that the case was unfamiliar to them. She alleged that these summons were being issued because “Prime Minister Modi has begun to doubt whether they will be able to apprehend Kejriwal in the Excise matter case,” claiming that the central agency was preparing a contingency plan for his arrest.
#WATCH | Delhi: AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi says, “…Nobody knows about this Delhi Jal Board matter…These summons are being sent because PM Modi has started doubting whether they will be able to arrest Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the Excise matter case…A backup plan… pic.twitter.com/OCx3Y914bK
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2024
Atishi also stated, “Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal received another summon yesterday evening from the ED, asking him to participate in an investigation related to the Delhi Jal Board. We are unaware of the case filed by the ED in this regard.”
In February of this year, the ED conducted raids at 10 locations associated with individuals linked to the AAP as part of its money laundering investigation into the Delhi Jal Board. These searches targeted the residences of Kejriwal’s personal secretary, Bibhav Kumar, AAP MP ND Gupta, and former Delhi Jal Board member Shalabh Kumar, among others.
The ED has already arrested retired chief engineer Jagdish Kumar Arora and contractor Anil Kumar Aggarwal. Reportedly, the ED’s probe stems from a case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging that Arora awarded a Delhi Jal Board contract worth over Rs 38.02 crore to NKG Infrastructure Limited, which purportedly did not meet the technical eligibility criteria. It is alleged that NKG Infrastructure subcontracted the work to Integral Screws, a proprietorship firm of Aggarwal.
Upon receiving the funds, Aggarwal allegedly transferred approximately Rs 3 crore to Arora through cash and bank accounts. The article also mentions that bank accounts of close associates of Jagdish Kumar Arora and their relatives were allegedly used to transfer bribe amounts, with a close associate of Arora purportedly receiving bribes in cash.
