The investigation revolves around allegations that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, facilitating liquor licenses for traders, encouraged cartelization and favored specific dealers who purportedly paid bribes. The AAP consistently refutes these claims.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday (February 26) continued to abstain from responding to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summons for the seventh time in connection with the money laundering case linked to the excise policy. The ED had issued the seventh summons on February 22 after Kejriwal failed to appear for questioning in response to the sixth summons.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) reiterated its stance, labeling the ED summons as illegal and emphasizing that the matter's validity is under court scrutiny, with the ED itself being a party to the legal proceedings. The party suggested that rather than repeatedly issuing summons, the ED should await the court's decision.
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In response to the ED's complaint regarding Kejriwal's non-compliance with summons, a Delhi court had directed him to appear on February 17. The recent summons marks the seventh occasion the former IRS officer has been called by the ED in this case, with previous summons issued on dates such as February 19, February 2, January 18, January 3, December 21, and November 2 in 2023.
The investigation revolves around allegations that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, facilitating liquor licenses for traders, encouraged cartelization and favored specific dealers who purportedly paid bribes. The AAP consistently refutes these claims.
The policy faced scrutiny leading to its annulment after Delhi LG VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities. Subsequently, the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection to the matter.
