Arvind Kejriwal Appears Before Delhi Court Via Video Conferencing in ED Summons Case - 2024-02-18

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday appeared before the Rouse Avenue court in the national capital via video conferencing in connection with repeated summons issued to him by Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case.

Kejriwal told the court that he couldn’t appear in person due to discussion on Confidence Motion scheduled in Delhi Assembly on February 17, sources said.

The court had summoned Arvind Kejriwal to appear before it on February 17 after the ED filed a complaint against him for skipping five earlier summons.

In its complaint before the court, the ED alleged that Kejriwal intentionally did not want to obey the summons and instead kept on giving "lame excuses".

The Delhi Chief Minister had claimed that the summons were illegal and the agency's only aim was to arrest him.

With three of its leaders - Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendra Jain - already in jail in connection with the excise policy case, AAP has long been anticipating Kejriwal's arrest and even discussed the possible courses of action in case the Chief Minister is also send behind bars.

The new excise policy promulgated by the AAP government proposed to overhaul the alcohol industry in Delhi by shifting from a system dependent on sales volume to one based on trader's licence fees.

The central agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED found gross irregularities in the excise policy and alleged that AAP leaders received monetary kickbacks for introducing the policy.

On February 7, the court had issued summons to Kejriwal to appear before it on February 17 after he skipped a series of summons by the Enforcement Directorate.

The ED, in its plea, stated that Kejriwal is a high-ranking public functionary and thus, is expected to obey the law. The agency further said if persons holding such high officers disobey the law, then it will set a wrong example for the common man.

In its complaint, the ED had said that instead of attending the summons, Kejriwal raised frivolous objections and deliberately created grounds which clearly show that the chief minister intentionally did not want to obey the summons.

Addressing the court via video conferencing, the Chief Minister said that due to the confidence motion discussion in the Delhi Assembly scheduled to take place today, he could not physically appear before the court.

Following this, the court fixed 10 am at March 16 as the next date for Kejriwal to physically appear before it.

"If everything goes well, Kejriwal should appear before the court on the next date of hearing and he should also get bail in the matter," Gupta added.

While addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre and said the attempt to "poach" his party MLAs was an attempt at "another Operation Lotus".

On the repeated ED summonses, Kejriwal has maintained that they were "illegal attempts" to arrest him and aimed at preventing him from campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

A Delhi court on Saturday allowed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to appear before it physically on March 16 in connection with the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) recent complaint against him for skipping five summonses in the excise policy case, after he cited a debate on a trust motion in the House today.

The probe agency had issued its sixth summons to Kejriwal on Wednesday.

Addressing the court via video conferencing, the Chief Minister said that due to the confidence motion discussion in the Delhi Assembly scheduled to take place today, he could not physically appear before the court.

"I wanted to come today, but suddenly this confidence motion came. The Budget Session is also going on, which will continue till March 1. Any date can be given after that," he said.

Following this, the court fixed 10 am at March 16 as the next date for Kejriwal to physically appear before it.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo was asked to appear before the court today after the ED had filed the complaint against him on February 3 for not complying with the summonses issued to him in connection with the liquor policy case.

The complaint was filed under Section 174 of the IPC for non-attendance in obedience to an order from a public servant and Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Addressing news agency ANI after the court's decision, Kejriwal's lawyer Ramesh Gupta said the Chief Minister had "moved an application for exemption from personal appearance before Rouse Avenue court which was accepted".

He went on to say that Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who represents the ED, did not oppose the application.

"If everything goes well, Kejriwal should appear before the court on the next date of hearing and he should also get bail in the matter," Gupta added.

Weeks after he accused the BJP of attempting to "poach" AAP MLAs with the aim of toppling his government in Delhi, Kejriwal moved the confidence motion in the Delhi Assembly on Friday.

While addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre and said the attempt to "poach" his party MLAs was an attempt at "another Operation Lotus".

On the repeated ED summonses, Kejriwal has maintained that they were "illegal attempts" to arrest him and aimed at preventing him from campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.