Crime Today News
A Delhi court on Friday refused to stay two summons issued to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by a magisterial court on a complaint by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with allegations of money laundering in the Delhi liquor policy case, reported Live Law.
The central law enforcement agency had approached the Rouse Avenue Court claiming that the Aam Aadmi Party leader had not appeared before it for questioning despite eight summons issued to him since November 2.
On March 7, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra had directed Kejriwal to be present in the court on March 16.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader had sought an interim stay against the summons. However, Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal on Friday directed Kejriwal to approach the metropolitan magistrate with his request for an exemption from deposing before the Enforcement Directorate.
Syal also directed the Aadmi Party leader to appear physically in court on Saturday. Kejriwal’s revision petitions against the summons will be heard next on March 30.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate on February 27 for the eighth time and asked to appear before it on March 4, which he failed to do. He had skipped the agency’s seventh summons on February 26. Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party have said that the summons are “illegal” and “politically motivated”.
The central agency filed its first plea in the matter before the Rouse Avenue Court on February 3, after Kejriwal skipped the fifth summons issued to him.
Kejriwal had appeared before the court via video conferencing on February 17. He submitted that he could not be present in person because of a trust vote motion tabled in the Delhi Assembly and the Assembly Budget Session that was underway at the time. The court had then listed the matter on March 16.
Liquor policy case
The Enforcement Directorate’s case is based on a first information report registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation alleging irregularities in the Delhi government’s liquor excise policy, which has been scrapped.
The policy came into effect in November 2021. It was withdrawn on July 30, 2022, with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommending an investigation into the alleged irregularities of the policy.
The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate have alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government modified Delhi’s liquor excise policy to ensure a 12% profit margin for wholesalers and a nearly 185% profit margin for retailers.
The Enforcement Directorate has also claimed that members of a so-called South Group had paid at least Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party through businessman Vijay Nair, who is currently in jail.
Two senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders – Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh – are also currently in jail in connection with the case.
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