Excise Case: Delhi Court to pass order today on ED complaint against CM Kejriwal over missing summons

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for failing to appear at the central probe agency’s summons in the Delhi liquor policy money laundering case. On Wednesday, the Rouse Avenue Court will make a decision in response to this. As of Wednesday, the ED’s submissions to the case are complete, according to Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra. At 5:00 p.m. today, the court announced that it will bring this case up for order passing.

ED on Saturday had filed a fresh complaint case under section 190 (1)(a) Cr.P.C. r/w. section 200 Cr.P.C., 1973 r/w. section 174 IPC, 1860 r/w. section 63 (4) of PMLA, 2002 for non-attendance in compliance of Section 50, PMLA, 2002.
On February 2, Kejriwal skipped the Enforcement Directorate’s summons for the fifth time in connection with the money laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22 case. The fresh summons to the Delhi Chief Minister followed the fourth summons, which he had skipped on January 18.

The party referred to the fifth summons as “unlawful” while ignoring it. The ED issued four summonses on January 18, January 3, November 2, and December 22. Kejriwal has so far disregarded them, claiming they were “illegal and politically motivated.” The Enforcement Department (ED) claims that it is interested in recording Kejriwal’s statement regarding matters such as the creation of policy, meetings that took place prior to its finalization, and claims of bribery. The ED has stated that the AAP used kickbacks worth Rs 45 crore generated via the policy as part of its assembly elections campaign in Goa in 2022. The ED made this claim in its sixth charge sheet, which was filed on December 2, 2023, and named AAP leader Sanjay Singh and his aide Sarvesh Mishra.

The excise policy was aimed at revitalizing the city’s flagging liquor business and replacing a sales- volume-based regime with a licence fee for traders. It promised swankier stores and a better buying experience. The policy introduced discounts and offers on the purchase of liquor for the first time in Delhi.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s move to order a probe into alleged irregularities in the regime prompted the scrapping of the policy. The AAP has accused Saxena’s predecessor, Anil Baijal, of sabotaging the move with a few last-minute changes that resulted in lower-than-expected revenues.