India

ED Sends Sixth Summon To Arvind Kejriwal In Delhi Liquor Scam Case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been issued a sixth summons by the Enforcement Directorate, according to sources informed on Wednesday evening. The summons requests his appearance on Monday for questioning regarding the liquor excise policy case in the national capital.

ED Sends Sixth Summon To Arvind Kejriwal

Mr. Kejriwal has opted not to comply with the five previous summons, sparking a legal showdown with the probe agency and raising the possibility of him becoming the first sitting chief minister to face arrest. This latest summons from the ED, which is investigating money laundering charges, comes just a week after a Delhi court directed Mr. Kejriwal to appear on Saturday and provide an explanation for his previous non-compliance.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), asserting that Mr. Kejriwal is being targeted by the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, has welcomed the court’s order, according to party sources.

Mr. Kejriwal disregarded the fifth summons on February 2, as well as previous ones on January 31, January 19, December 21, and November 2. Various reasons, including campaigning for the Madhya Pradesh election, were cited by the AAP leader in defense against these summons, in addition to challenging the legality of the ED’s notices.

While Mr. Kejriwal has been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in April, he has not been accused thus far. He dismissed the CBI’s interrogation, stating that the agency’s questions were baseless and lacked evidence.

Manish Sisodia

However, two senior AAP members, including former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, have been arrested. Mr. Sisodia was arrested in February last year, followed by Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in October.

Also read: Congress Announces Six More Veterans To Be Sent To Rajya Sabha After Sonia Gandhi; List Inside

The case revolves around allegations that the AAP government’s revised alcohol sales policy facilitated kickbacks from cartels, which were purportedly used to finance electoral expenses in Goa and other states. Both the ED and the CBI allege that the policy led to cartelization and favored certain dealers who paid bribes for liquor sale licenses.

The AAP vehemently denies all accusations, citing a reported 27 percent increase in income from the policy, generating ₹8,900 crore in revenue for the Delhi government. Additionally, the party accuses the BJP of orchestrating the agency’s actions to target them.

Kavya Bhatt

Recent Posts

India Offers Growth And Stability To Global Investors, Says RBI Governor Malhotra

Amid uncertainties faced by major global economies due to ongoing tariff issues with the United…

40 mins ago

Pro-Pakistan Social Media Campaign Spreads Fake Indian Army Documents, Government Responds

Several pro-Pakistan social media accounts have spread fabricated documents aimed at undermining India's national security.…

1 hour ago

Adani Total Gas Reports 15% Revenue Growth In Q4; Volume Surges 13%

Adani Total Gas Limited (ATGL), one of India's leading energy transition companies, announced a 15%…

3 hours ago

India & France Sign ₹63,000 Crore Deal For 26 Rafale Marine Jets To Strengthen Naval Aviation

India and France formalised a ₹63,000 crore defence deal in New Delhi for the acquisition…

3 hours ago

Sensex Jumps Over 1,000 Points As Indian Markets Stage Strong Recovery

The Indian stock market witnessed a strong recovery on Monday amid ongoing geopolitical tensions following…

3 hours ago

19,000 Children Cheer Mumbai Indians At Wankhede With Nita Ambani

19,000 underprivileged children cheered for the Mumbai Indians during their match against the Lucknow Super…

3 hours ago