Arvind Kejriwal To Face ED Summons Virtually After March 12

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal replied to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) eighth summons related to the money laundering probe concerning irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case. Despite considering the summons “illegal,” Mr. Kejriwal has replied to the probe agency and proposed a date after March 12.

Kejriwal will attend the meeting through video conferencing. However, the probe agency is rigid about physically questioning the Delhi Chief Minister. The ED has stated that there is no provision for interrogation through video conferencing.

Kejriwal has replied after the eighth summons issued by ED on February 27, setting March 4 as the scheduled date for Mr. Kejriwal to be present at the agency’s headquarters. The investigation involves irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy (2021-22). Kejriwal is likely to answer questions on matters such as policy formulation and allegations of bribery.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) requested that the ED refrain from sending further summonses and await the decision of the court. Mr. Keriwal has ignored seven summonses issued by the ED and declared them “illegal and politically motivated.”

The excise policy promised a more modern shopping experience with deals and discounts, and it was implemented to change the liquor industry in the nation’s capital. However, the policy was cancelled as a result of Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s order to investigate the irregularities. Anil Baijal, Mr. Saxena’s predecessor, is accused by the AAP of making last-minute changes that negatively affected the policy’s revenue projections.

Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, two well-known AAP leaders, have already been held in judicial custody in relation to the case. The ED detained Mr. Singh, a member of the Rajya Sabha, on October 5, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) detained Mr. Sisodia, the former deputy chief minister of Delhi, on February 26 of last year.