The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has issued a summon to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the fifth time in a money laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22 case. The fresh summons to Delhi CM follows the fourth summons which he skipped terming it illegal two weeks back. The new summons to the Delhi Chief Minister follows the fourth summons, which he ignored on January 18. Delhi CM Kejriwal has thus far skipped four earlier summons issued by the ED on January 18, January 3, November 2, and December 22, calling them “illegal and politically motivated”.
The ED wants to record Kejriwal’s statement in the case about policy formation, discussions held before it was finalised, and bribery charges. While skipping the fourth summons issued by the ED, Kejriwal called it “illegal,” claiming that he was willing to comply but that the agency’s purpose was to arrest him and prevent him from campaigning for the election.
The case is based on the Central Bureau of Investigation’s First Information Report (FIR), which alleges several irregularities in developing and implementing the Delhi excise policy (2021-22). The policy was withdrawn due to charges of corruption. The ED alleged in its sixth charge sheet filed in the case on December 2, 2023, naming AAP leader Sanjay Singh and his aide Sarvesh Mishra, that the AAP used kickbacks worth Rs 45 crore generated by the scheme as part of its 2022 Goa assembly election campaign.
The excise policy attempted to revitalise the city’s ailing liquor industry by replacing a sales-volume-based system with a licence charge for traders. It promised swankier stores and an improved buying experience. For the first time in Delhi, the policy included discounts and special incentives on liquor purchases.
Two prominent AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are already in judicial detention in the case. The CBI detained Sisodia, then Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister, on February 26 after numerous rounds of questioning, while the ED arrested Singh, a Rajya Sabha member, on October 5.
Bureau Report
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