New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has issued a sixth summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asking him to appear on February 19 in the liquor policy-linked 'money laundering' case.
Kejriwal has not complied with any of the summons so far. Kejriwal, 55, who is also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has been asked to depose before the federal agency on February 19.
A Delhi court last week had asked Kejriwal to appear before it on February 17 acting on a complaint filed by the ED for disobeying ED summons in this case and noted that prima facie the AAP chief was "legally bound" to comply. He was earlier called on February 2, January 18 and January 3 this year and December 21 and November 2 in 2023. The Delhi CM has always called these notices "illegal".
In its complaint, the ED claimed that Kejriwal was summoned for probe on numerous occasions in order to unearth the role of others, including him, and to trace further proceeds of crime in the ongoing investigation. The agency claimed that Kejriwal intentionally disobeyed each summons and made each of such omission or disobedience a separate offence.
Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in charge sheets filed by the ED in the case. The agency has said the accused were in touch with him regarding the preparation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh apart from communications in-charge of the party Vijay Nair and some businessmen have been arrested in this case by the ED till now.
The ED had claimed in its charge sheet that the AAP used "proceeds of crime" to the tune of about Rs 45 crore in its Goa election campaign. The agency is also expected to file a fresh supplementary charge sheet in the case and may name the AAP as a "beneficiary" of the alleged kickbacks that were generated through the excise policy.
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