Arvind Kejriwal skips appearance before ED, agency may issue fresh summons to Delhi CM

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday did not appear for questioning before the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy linked money laundering case and the agency is now expected to issue fresh summons to him, official sources said.

The sources said the investigating officer of the case has received a two-page letter from Kejriwal, also the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, where he has asked the agency to "recall" the said summons as they are "vague, motivated and unsustainable in law".

The reply of the CM, according to the sources, is being examined by the ED.

Sources indicated that a fresh date for Kejriwal could be issued for a closer date as the Supreme Court has recently taken note of the prosecution's assurance that the trial in the case will be concluded within the next 6-8 months.

The central agency had summoned Kejriwal for questioning in the alleged Delhi excise policy case and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA.

Kejriwal's party colleagues Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in this case.

The AAP had alleged that Kejriwal will be the first to be arrested as part of the BJP's plan to target top INDIA alliance leaders ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the ED summons were an attempt to finish the party that is in power in Delhi and Punjab.

It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP.

The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the PMLA.