Court Dismisses Arvind Kejriwal’s Petitions Against ED Summons in Delhi Excise Policy Case
New Delhi, September 17: The Rouse Avenue court has dismissed two revision petitions filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. These petitions were against the summons issued by the magisterial court on complaints from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) related to the Delhi Excise policy case.
Background
The ED had issued several summons to Kejriwal for his appearance in a case linked to the Delhi Excise policy. Kejriwal failed to appear, prompting the ED to move to the court. Special Judge Rakesh Syal dismissed both of Kejriwal’s revision petitions. A detailed order is yet to be uploaded.
Kejriwal’s Arguments
Senior Advocate Ramesh Gupta, representing Kejriwal, argued that there was no intentional disobedience by Kejriwal. He stated that Kejriwal had responded to each summons, explaining his inability to attend due to his responsibilities as Chief Minister. Gupta also argued that Kejriwal was not given a show cause notice by the ED before filing the complaints and that a prior sanction was required to prosecute him as a public servant.
Advocate Rajiv Mohan, also representing Kejriwal, argued that the summons were issued hastily without proper judicial consideration. He claimed that the trial court did not consider Kejriwal’s responses to the ED’s summons.
ED’s Counterarguments
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, representing the ED, argued that whether Kejriwal’s disobedience was intentional or not is a matter for trial. He stated that the ED officials are legally empowered to summon any person to produce evidence and that Kejriwal’s failure to comply constituted intentional disobedience.
Current Status
The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate has issued a fresh summons to Kejriwal for his personal appearance before the court on March 16, 2024. The ED has moved two complaints against Kejriwal for non-attendance in compliance with the law.
Related Developments
The ED’s sixth charge sheet in the case, filed on December 2, 2023, names AAP leader Sanjay Singh and his aide Sarvesh Mishra. The ED claims that the AAP used Rs 45 crore in kickbacks from the policy for its assembly elections campaign in Goa in 2022. The policy was scrapped following a probe ordered by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, and Sanjay Singh was arrested by the ED on October 5. Both are currently on bail.
Doubts Revealed
Arvind Kejriwal -: Arvind Kejriwal is the Chief Minister of Delhi, which means he is the head of the government in Delhi.
ED -: ED stands for Enforcement Directorate. It is a government agency in India that investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
Rouse Avenue court -: Rouse Avenue court is a special court in Delhi that deals with cases related to corruption and financial crimes.
summons -: A summons is an official order to appear in court. It means someone has to go to court on a specific date.
Delhi Excise policy case -: This case is about rules and regulations related to the sale of alcohol in Delhi. There are allegations of corruption in making these rules.
intentional disobedience -: Intentional disobedience means not following rules or orders on purpose.
charge sheet -: A charge sheet is a document prepared by the police or investigating agency that lists the charges against someone.
kickbacks -: Kickbacks are illegal payments made in return for a favor or service. It is a form of bribery.
AAP -: AAP stands for Aam Aadmi Party. It is a political party in India founded by Arvind Kejriwal.
Goa election campaign -: This refers to the efforts made by political parties to win votes in the state of Goa during elections.
Manish Sisodia -: Manish Sisodia is a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party and was the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi.
Sanjay Singh -: Sanjay Singh is another leader of the Aam Aadmi Party and a Member of Parliament in India.
