Why Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned by CBI? Details here

Arvind Kejriwal is being summoned as a witness in the excise policy case in which ex-Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested earlier for alleged corruption.

Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal is set to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday for questioning after the probe agency issued a summon on Friday in connection with the alleged irregularities in the capital's now-scrapped 2021-22 excise policy.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference just before his CBI visit for questioning. (PTI)

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Kejriwal will be accompanied by his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann and cabinet colleagues to the probe agency's office. Kejriwal is being summoned as a witness in the excise policy case in which ex-Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested on February 26 for alleged corruption. The court termed Sisodia "prima facie" as "the architect" of the criminal conspiracy, news agency PTI reported.

Ahead of his appearance on Sunday, Kejriwal said, "You (BJP) say that I am corrupt. I was a Commissioner in the Income Tax department, I could have earned crores if I wanted to. If Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt then there is no one in this world who is honest".

Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned as a witness in the case and has not been named as an accused in the First Information Report (FIR), filed on August 17 last year. According PTI, the Delhi CM is likely to be probed regarding the statements of other accused about the framing of the policy and details of a "south lobby". He may also be questioned about his involvement in the excise policy plan ahead of its approval.

"He has been called for questioning as a witness at 11am on Sunday to seek clarifications on certain claims by witnesses and accused persons regarding the formulation and implementation of the policy" said one of the officials.

Kejriwal's name has been mentioned in court documents, including charge sheets and remand papers, in reference to alleged meetings, fixing commissions for private players, and the entry of political players and businesspeople from the south into Delhi's liquor business, said CBI officials, HT reported earlier.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led government introduced a new liquor-excise that sought to shut down 600 government-operated vends to pave way for swanky, new, privately-owned shops – marking the exit of the government from selling liquor.

Read here: Arvind Kejriwal to be questioned by CBI today in liquor policy case: 10 facts

However, the policy was later scrapped on July 30, 2022, by the Delhi government after LG Vinay Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into allegations of whether undue benefits were being extended to liquor licensees at the cost of the public exchequer.