Delhi liquorgate: ED summons Kejriwal again—4th time in 2 months
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the fourth time in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi liquor policy. He has been asked to appear before the agency on January 18. However, he will be in Goa from January 18 to 20 to oversee election preparations. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo previously declined three summons by the ED—on November 2, December 21, and January 3 this year—terming them "illegal."
Why does this story matter?
The ED has mentioned Kejriwal's name multiple times in its chargesheets and said the accused in the case were in touch with him regarding the preparation and execution of the now-scrapped policy. However, the 55-year-old AAP leader skipped the previous three summonses, arguing that they were "not in consonance with the law" and hence should be withdrawn. The existing laws allow a person to skip summonses three times before the investigation agency can obtain a non-bailable warrant against them.
BJP government wants to arrest me: Kejriwal
In a letter to the ED assistant director, Kejriwal cited the Rajya Sabha elections, Republic Day festivities, and the probe agency's alleged "non-disclosure" and "non-response" policies as grounds for not attending questioning. Last week, he alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government sought to arrest him and prevent him from campaigning in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Kejriwal also stated that he would cooperate with the ED if he was granted a legally legitimate summons.
Kejriwal called summons 'illegal', 'politically motivated'
Furthermore, Kejriwal had described the summons as "politically motivated" and "issued for vexatious considerations." He also questioned whether he was being called as a witness or a suspect in the case. Kejriwal claimed to have previously given a thorough response to the ED about his objections to the summons issued under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002, but the ED has not responded.
AAP leaders arrested in the case
Since the first ED summons, there has been major speculation that Delhi's chief minister will also be arrested after his questioning. Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested in February in connection with the case, while AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was arrested in October. The ongoing investigation and arrests have caused alarm among AAP followers and leaders.
Know about Delhi liquor policy scam
The Delhi administration implemented the revamped liquor excise policy on November 17, 2021, but it was scrapped less than a year later owing to extensive corruption charges. Central probe agencies asserted that wholesaler profit margins were artificially boosted from 5% to 12%. They further claimed that the regulation promoted cartelization and rewarded those ineligible for liquor licenses for financial gain. However, the AAP-led Delhi government refuted the charges and stated that the strategy would have raised income.
