Arvind Kejriwal skips ED summons for sixth time

THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK

New Delhi, Feb 19: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sources stated on Monday that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not be appearing before the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) for interrogation in relation to an excise policy case connected to money laundering.

Asserting that the validity of the ED summons is currently before the court, the AAP referred to the summons as illegal.

“ED itself has gone to court. Instead of sending summons again and again, ED should wait for the court’s decision,” a party source stated.

In response to an ED complaint about his purported failure to comply with its summons, Kejriwal appeared before the Rouse Avenue Court via video conference on February 17.

Kejriwal told the court during his virtual appearance that although he would have liked to attend in person, he was unable to do so because of the budget sessions and the confidence motion.

The court date of Kejriwal’s physical appearance was set for March 16, 2024, after Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra granted his request for an exemption on Saturday.

ED filed complaint on Feb 3

After the Delhi Chief Minister ignored five summonses from the ED in the purported illegal liquor scam case, the ED had filed a complaint against him in Rouse Avenue Court on February 3.

The complaint was brought under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for failing to comply with an ED summons and Section 174 of the IPC for failing to appear in compliance with an order from a public servant.

Recently, the ED lodged a new complaint case citing violations of sections 190 (1)(a) and 200 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 63 (4) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), pertaining to failure to appear as required by Section 50 of the PMLA.

Earlier Kejriwal skipped five ED summons calling them illegal

Arvind Kejriwal has skipped ED summonses five times on November 2 and December 21 in 2023 and January 3, January 18, and February 2 deeming them as unlawful and driven by political motives.

Kejriwal called the ED summons “illegal” and skipped them, stating that although he was willing to comply, the agency’s goal was to arrest him and prevent him from doing electoral campaigning.