The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday sent the eighth summon to Delhi Chiem Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the liquor policy case. The summon comes a day after Kejriwal had skipped the seventh summon by the probe agency. According to the eight summon, the ED has asked Kejriwal to appear for the questioning on March 4 next month. While denying to appear before ED, Kejriwal on Monday said that he will do so only if the court orders him to do so. “I will go when court says go,” the Delhi Chief Minister had said. Both Aam Aadmi Party and the CM have termed the ED’s seven summonses as ‘illegal.’
When issuing the seventh summons, the ED dismissed the argument that serving a new notice for Kejriwal’s attendance was improper due to the matter being sub-judice before a local court.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Delhi’s ex-deputy CM Manish Sisodia completed a year behind bars in the connection with liquor policy case. On February 26 last year, CBI had arrested Sisodia in the excise policy case. A month later in March 2023, ED arrested Sisodia in the same case.
Marking the one year of Sisodia’s arrest, Kejriwal and his minister had visited Rajghat on Monday. On skipping the seventh summons issued by the ED in connection with the excise police case, Kejriwal had said, “They want us to break away from the alliance (INDIA). The ED, itself, has approached the court in the matter. So, why can’t they wait for the court to deliver its verdict in the case? While the matter is in court, they are sending summons repeatedly. Informally, we have received messages to break away from the (Opposition) alliance. However, we are with INDIA and are going nowhere.”
(With inputs from ANI)