About the Delhi excise policy scam and an associated money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate has issued a third summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been directed to appear before the agency on January 3, marking the latest development in an ongoing investigation.
The central agency had previously issued a summons on December 18, initially requiring Kejriwal to appear on December 21. However, the Chief Minister opted not to comply with the summons, choosing instead to embark on a 10-day Vipassana meditation camp.
Kejriwal, responding to the Enforcement Directorate's actions, categorically labeled the summons as 'illegal' and 'politically motivated.' He emphatically asserted that he had nothing to conceal and expressed his readiness to abide by all legal summons. Kejriwal remarked, “I am ready to accept every legal summon. However, this ED summon is also illegal and politically motivated, like the previous summons. The summon should be withdrawn. I have spent my life with honesty and transparency. I have nothing to hide."
Following the second summons, Kejriwal submitted a detailed 6-page response to the probe agency, characterizing the summonses as having dubious motivations and being issued for extraneous considerations. He raised questions about the timing of the summons, suggesting a potential political agenda and an attempt to generate sensational news ahead of the impending parliamentary elections.
The initiation of the investigation dates back to October when the first summons was issued as part of the broader scrutiny into alleged money laundering associated with the liquor policy. Notably, the Delhi government had withdrawn the liquor policy in July 2023 amid corruption accusations.
In April of the current year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) interrogated Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal in connection with the case. However, it's worth noting that he has not been officially named as an accused in the FIR filed by the CBI in August of the previous year.
The case has seen the arrest of senior AAP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, along with another party leader, Sanjay Singh. The ongoing developments in this investigation continue to unfold against the backdrop of a complex political and legal landscape.
