Enforcement Directorate Files Fresh Complaint Against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has lodged a new complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeking his prosecution for repeatedly skipping summons in the Delhi excise policy probe. This move comes after Kejriwal refused to appear before the agency for the eighth time since November 2 last year, dismissing the summons as “illegal” and “politically motivated.”

According to sources familiar with the matter, the fresh complaint has been filed under sections 174 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), read with section 63 (4) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), before the court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM), Rouse Avenue Court. These sections pertain to non-compliance with summons issued to an individual. The court has scheduled the matter for Thursday.

This development follows a similar complaint filed by the ED on February 3, after which the court summoned Kejriwal. He appeared virtually before the court on February 17 and was exempted from physical appearance until March 16.

ED officials argue that the court has not granted Kejriwal exemption from appearing before the investigating officer, emphasizing his intentional disobedience of the summons. Kejriwal, however, expressed readiness to be questioned via video-conferencing after March 12, reiterating his allegation that the ED summons were intended to pressure him into leaving the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) alliance.

The ED alleges that AAP leaders received bribes totaling ₹100 crore in connection with the 2021-22 excise policy, which was implemented in November 2021 but later scrapped following a recommendation for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe by LG Saxena due to alleged irregularities. Although Kejriwal has not been named as an accused in any of the charge sheets, the ED claims the excise policy was his “brainchild.”

The now-defunct policy aimed to revitalize Delhi’s liquor business by replacing a sales volume-based regime with a license fee system for traders, offering discounts and incentives on liquor purchases for the first time in the city.

As the legal battle between Kejriwal and the ED intensifies, it underscores the contentious nature of the excise policy probe and its implications for the political landscape in Delhi.