Arvind Kejriwal skips 2nd ED call, leaves for 10-day vipassana meditation course

A day before his expected appearance in the ED office, Kejriwal left Delhi, according to a programme that was finalised before he received the summons on Monday

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is set to skip the second summons of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) asking him to appear before it on Thursday (December 21) for questioning in connection with the Delhi excise case.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal (File Photo)(File)

Read here: ED summons Kejriwal on Dec 21 in excise case

A day before his expected appearance in the ED office, Kejriwal left Delhi, according to a programme that was finalised before he received the summons on Monday, December 18. He is scheduled to stay in a vipassana (meditation) retreat at a centre in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab for 10 days. Kejriwal’s office announced this on Saturday, December 16.

ED officials did not respond to requests seeking comment on the matter.

Kejriwal left his residence in Civil Lines at around 1.30pm on Wednesday, a day later than he was supposed to -- the original schedule had him leaving for the retreat on Tuesday. “The CM will return on December 30 after completing the vipassana session. During the vipassana session, the CM abstains from communication,” said an official in the chief minister’s office (CMO) who asked not to be named.

Kejriwal landed at Adampur airport where he was welcomed by Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann. Security has been tightened around the centre and public movement has been restricted.

Opposition parties have questioned the timing of Kejriwal’s meditation break. “It is a bid to evade ED,” said Avinash Rai Khanna, former Rajya Sabha member and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, who asked why Kejriwal picked a place in Punjab for his meditation retreat.

Vipassana is an ancient Indian meditation technique that requires practitioners to abstain from talking or communicating in any other way. It is believed to be beneficial for the mind and body.

A Delhi government official said no order has been issued on the person who will be in charge in his absence because it is not required. “The CM currently does not hold any portfolio,”added a second Delhi government official who asked not to be named.

ED officers said on Monday that they have summoned Kejriwal for questioning (on Thursday) in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy investigation, but refused to share further details. That was the second summons from the federal agency gave to the AAP chief . On November 2, Kejriwal skipped ED’s first summons and flew to Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh to address a political rally later. At the time, Kejriwal wrote to ED that its summons was not clear on three aspects: whether he was being summoned as a witness or person of interest; the exact reason for the summons; and whether he was being summoned in his individual capacity or in his official role as chief minister of Delhi or AAP’s national convener. He also termed the summons a “fishing and roving” inquiry.

Kejriwal was earlier questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) as the two federal agencies are probing two different angles in the Delhi liquor policy case.

ED has alleged that the AAP received kickbacks to the tune of ₹100 crore to finalise the Delhi excise policy, and that a chunk of this were used by the party in its Goa elections campaign. These alleged kickbacks, received from the “South Group”, were transferred to former AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair with the help of accused Abhishek Boinpally and Dinesh Arora, the agency has claimed. Arora, in turn, assisted Rajesh Joshi of Chariot Productions Media Pvt Ltd to use these funds in AAP’s Goa poll cmapaign, according to one of ED’s charge sheets. ED has also claimed that AAP volunteers were paid in cash during the campaign.

Thus far, ED has arrested top AAP leaders — former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh — in the case. In all, at least 14 people have been arrested by the agency, and ED has approached court seeking permission to investigate the AAP as a beneficiary of “proceeds of crime”.

Read here: Will Arvind Kejriwal appear before ED? AAP MP gives 'vipassana' hint

AAP, Kejriwal, Sisodia, and Singh have denied all charges and called the case a “witch-hunt” and “political vendetta” at the behest of the Union government.

The AAP said in a statement on Tuesday that lawyers were examining the ED summons. “Lawyers are examining ED’s notice and such steps will be taken that are legally correct.” The party or the Delhi government did not issue a statement on the issue on Wednesday.