'Tarnishing my reputation?': Arvind Kejriwal writes to ED after skipping summons; read full text

"Every time, before the summons reaches me, it is already there in the media. This raises questions whether the purpose of the summons is to do any legitimate inquiry or tarnish my reputation," Arvind Kejriwal wrote.

On Wednesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal criticized the Enforcement Directorate (ED), labeling it as "opaque and arbitrary." In a letter addressed to the probe agency, Kejriwal questioned whether the issuance of summons was aimed at tarnishing his reputation. This comes after Kejriwal opted to skip the third ED summons in connection to an alleged money laundering case related to the Delhi excise matter, which is currently under investigation involving multiple Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders.

"Every time, before the summons reaches me, it is already there in the media. This raises questions whether the purpose of the summons is to do any legitimate inquiry or tarnish my reputation," he wrote.

Additionally, Kejriwal raised concerns about the Enforcement Directorate's silence regarding his legal objections to the summons issued by the probe agency. In his letter, he questioned the ED's lack of response to the legal aspects he had presented in response to the agency's summons.

"It is a matter of concern that despite my comprehensive response(s) bringing to your notice critical dimensions and legal objections involved in issuing summons to me to appear ‘in person’ in your purported exercise of powers under Section 50 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (‘PMLA’), you have chosen not to respond," Kejriwal wrote in the letter.

"Your silence confirms my apprehensions about certain vested interests and extraneous as well as malafide considerations prevailing over any objective, rational, fair or impartial inquiry or investigations," he added further.

He also raised questions about whether the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was taking on the roles of judge, jury, and executioner simultaneously.

"Your obstinacy tantamounts to assuming the role of judge, jury, and executioner at the same time which is not acceptable in our country governed by the rule of law," he further added.

On social media platform X, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) posted the letter in which the Delhi Chief Minister raised specific objections to the Enforcement Directorate (ED):

- Summons are motivated and issued for vexatious considerations.
- From summons, it is not clear as to the capacity in which I am being summoned i.e. as a witness or a suspect.
- Summons fail to provide the reason why I have been summoned
- Summons appear to be in the nature of fishing and roving enquiry as it does not specify whether I am being summoned as an individual or in my official capacity as Chief Minister of Delhi or as National Convenor of AAP.

This marked the third instance of the ED issuing notices to Kejriwal, following his non-compliance with summonses on November 2 and December 21.