Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday appeared before the Rouse Avenue court via video conference in connection with ED’s complaint regarding non-compliance of agency’s summons in the excise policy scam. The court adjourned the matter till March 16 as Mr. Kejriwal expressed inability to be personally present for the hearing due to the ongoing assembly session.
“Mai court aana chahta tha...magar ekdum se floor test aa gaya,” (I wanted to come to court but floor test came suddenly), Mr. Kejriwal told the court.
He added that Delhi’s budget session will continue till March first week and hence requested the court to list the matter after that so that he can personally come for the hearing.
Delhi CM made these submissions in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Divya Malhotra who had summoned Mr Kejriwal on February 7 and held that he was prima facie legally bound to comply with ED’s summons.
The ED had approached the court on February 3, a day after the Chief Minister skipped the fifth summons issued by it for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the policy.
The ED has arrested several persons, including senior AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia, alleging that they played a key role in the formulation and implementation of the policy for 2021-22, which benefited certain liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers for monetary considerations.
The agency has alleged that the money earned through the “scam” was diverted through “hawala” channels for the AAP’s poll campaign in the 2022 Goa Assembly election.
Earlier, the AAP chief had written to the ED, terming the summonses “illegal and politically motivated”.
