ED to issue fresh summon to Delhi CM Kejriwal in excise policy case

The agency officials added that a Delhi court has, on Saturday, prime facie, held Kejriwal guilty of disobeying ED’s summon and that he has got exemption from physical appearance at court, not ED

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will issue fresh summons to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in its excise policy money laundering probe after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor skipped appearing before the agency for the sixth time in a row, people familiar with the development said.

The ED moved the Rouse Avenue court with a complaint over Kejriwal skipping its summons. (PTI photo)

The agency officials added that a Delhi court has, on Saturday, prime facie, held Kejriwal guilty of disobeying ED’s summon and that he has got exemption from physical appearance at the court, not the ED.

The Rouse Avenue court on Saturday granted Kejriwal an exemption from personally appearing in court over the ED summons till March 16.

Kejriwal appeared before the court virtually, submitting that he could not physically appear due to the ongoing Budget session and the confidence motion in the House.

The ED moved the Rouse Avenue court with a complaint over Kejriwal skipping its summons.

“We had filed filed a complaint u/s 174 of IPC (Indian Penal Code) against Arvind Kejriwal for intentionally disobeying first three summons issued to him. The court has taken the cognisance of the same which means that the court has prima facie accepted that Kejriwal has done an offence for which he is liable to be prosecuted,” said a senior official, who didn’t want to be named.

This officer further added that “the question in front of the court is not about the validity of the summons rather the illegal act on part of Arvind Kejriwal of intentionally disobeying the summons.”

Another officer said that “Kejriwal cannot skip ED summons calling them illegal just because he appeared before court.”