Arvind Kejriwal sends reply to ED summons, asks for virtual meeting after March 12

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has so far skipped multiple summonses of the Enforcement Directorate, calling them illegal and asking the agency to wait as the matter was in court.

The Aam Aadmi Party said that Delhi Chief Minister has sent a reply to the Enforcement Directorate on Monday. This came after the federal agency sent the eight summons to the AAP convenor. In a statement, Kejriwal claimed that summons is illegal but he is ready to answer.

ED on Kejriwal’s virtual meeting request
“Arvind Kejriwal has asked for a date after March 12 from ED. After that, he will attend the hearing via video conferencing,” AAP said in a statement. However, the probe agency has allegedly refused to allow Kejriwal to appear before it through video-conferencing. “There is no provision for interrogation through video conferencing,” stated an ED source.

Earlier on February 27, The ED issued an eighth summons to the Delhi Chief Minister in a money laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 case, asking him to join the investigation on March 4.

Kejriwal skipped multiple summons
Kejriwal has so far skipped seven previous summonses issued by the Enforcement Directorate on various dates, including February 26, February 19, February 2, January 18, January 3, November 2, and December 22, labelling them as “illegal and politically motivated.” The ED seeks to record Kejriwal’s statement regarding policy formulation, pre-finalization meetings, and allegations of bribery in the case.

Despite the seventh summons issued by the ED, AAP, in a statement, denounced it as “illegal,” urging the ED to stop sending summonses and await the court’s decision. The AAP also highlighted that the probe agency has already approached the court concerning the matter.

Delhi excise policy scam
It is alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP. The policy was subsequently scrapped and Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

News Source:- INDIA TV