ED sends summons to CM Kejriwal for 9th time, calls for questioning on March 21

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a fresh summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case. Arvind Kejriwal has not appeared for questioning despite repeated summons by the Enforcement Directorate. In such a situation, ED has once again sent summons to Kejriwal and called him for questioning on March 21. ED has so far issued 8 summons to Kejriwal and this is the 9th summons.

Kejriwal appeared in Rouse Avenue court yesterday in the Delhi Liquor Policy case. The court had granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal in two cases registered by the investigating agency for not appearing on ED summons. The court had also directed ED to hand over the documents related to the complaints to Kejriwal. The ED had filed two complaints in the magistrate court and requested Kejriwal to appear on the multiple summons issued in this case and prosecute him. The latest complaint was related to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Kejriwal not honoring summons numbers 4 to 8 sent by the Federal Investigation Agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had earlier moved the magistrate court and requested to prosecute Kejriwal for not appearing on the first three summons issued to him in the money laundering case related to the now-repealed Delhi Excise Policy.

After getting bail, Aam Aadmi Party's legal head Sanjeev Nasiyar said, "The court had summoned the Chief Minister. Last time he participated in it through video conferencing, when he was directed again he said that he would not be physically present." Will appear from the court. He appeared and deposited the bail bond. Bail was granted. Our stand regarding the ED summons is clear that they are not in accordance with the law and are illegal. Now this court will decide. We have full faith in the court. Whatever decision the court takes, our decision will be in accordance with it."

On Kejriwal being granted bail by the Rouse Avenue Court, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva had said, "Today Arvind Kejriwal had to go to the court and seek bail and after his bail it became clear that the summons which he had termed as illegal were constitutional. On the next summons of the investigating agency, you (Arvind Kejriwal) will have to come to the court and answer all the questions."