Edited by Deepali Verma
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is likely to skip the fourth summon from the Enforcement Directorate on January 18, in relation with its investigation into the money laundering aspects of the Delhi excise policy case. Kejriwal’s schedule marks his 3-day visit to Goa.
“Arvind Kejriwal has to leave for Goa on January 18 as per a pre-announced schedule,” an official in the Chief Minister’s office said. This person added that Kejriwal will be visiting Goa to assess the party’s preparedness in the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
In conversation with the reporters during an event on January 17, Kejriwal remarked, “We will act as per law.”
“CM Kejriwal is acting like a fugitive but the law will soon catch hold of him. The day ED takes notice of his evasive behaviour and takes stern action against the CM, will be the moment when Aam Aadmi Party will start playing victim card,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.
Kejriwal has skipped the last three summons — on November 2, on December 22, and on January 3 — while labelling them “illegal and politically motivated”.
ED issued its fourth summons on January 13 which was a day after AAP announced Kejriwal’s three-day Goa tour. Delhi AAP convenor Gopal Rai accused the central agency of issuing the summons at such time so as to stop Kejriwal from campaigning.
Kejriwal and his party have repeatedly objected to the summons citing the lack of clarity over whether he was asked to appear as a witness or suspect; as chief minister or as AAP chief; and that the agency has further not provided any details regarding its line of questioning. Former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh have already been arrested in relation with the Delhi excise policy case and are in judicial custody.
The Delhi government’s 2021-22 excise policy looked at revitalising the city’s flagging liquor business, with the aim to replace a sales-volume based regime with a licence fee-based one for traders, and promised rather luxurious stores, free of the infamous metal grilles, ultimately providing the customers with a better buying experience. The policy further introduced discounts and offers on the purchase of liquor which was a first for Delhi.
The plan saw an abrupt end, where the lieutenant governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the regime. The result of which was the premature scrapping of the policy and being replaced by the 2020-21 regime, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the allegations that Saxena’s predecessor sabotaged the move with a few last-minute changes that resulted in lower-than-expected revenues.
The allegations from ED reads that the AAP received kickbacks to the tune of ₹100 crore to finalise the excise policy, and that a portion of this money was used by the party in its Goa elections campaign. The agency has made an arrest of at least 14 top AAP leaders, in connection with the case, and the central probe agency has further approached the court seeking permission to investigate AAP as a beneficiary of the “proceeds of crime”.
