Arvind Kejriwal Granted Bail for Skipping ED Summons
In a significant development, Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, was granted bail today in two cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for skipping agency summons. The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi granted Kejriwal bail on a bail bond of Rs 15,000 and a surety of Rs 1 lakh.
The court’s decision came after the Delhi CM appeared before the court following a summons issued to him in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case. The ED had filed two complaints before the magisterial court, seeking Kejriwal’s prosecution for failing to honour multiple summonses issued to him in the case.
ED’s Complaints Against Kejriwal
One of the complaints pertained to Kejriwal, who is also the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), not honouring summonses no. 4 to 8 sent by the federal probe agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Earlier, the ED had moved the court seeking Kejriwal’s prosecution for not attending the first three summonses issued to him in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
Kejriwal had challenged the summons issued by the court after it took cognizance of two complaints filed by the ED for avoidance of the summons issued to him.
Delhi Excise Policy Case: AAP Leaders Under Judicial Custody
The Delhi Excise Policy case has seen two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, already under judicial custody. Sisodia, who was the then Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 following several rounds of questioning.
On October 5, the ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a member of the Rajya Sabha, in connection with the same case.
Also Read | Manish Sisodia’s plea for bail in Delhi liquor case rejected
The Excise Policy Controversy
The Delhi Excise Policy case revolves around alleged irregularities and corruption in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. The policy, which was introduced by the AAP government in Delhi, aimed to streamline the sale of liquor in the national capital.
However, the policy faced backlash and allegations of favouritism, with the opposition accusing the AAP government of providing undue benefits to certain liquor traders and companies. The policy was eventually scrapped, and investigations were launched by various agencies, including the CBI and ED.As the legal proceedings continue, the bail granted to Kejriwal in the ED cases for skipping summons marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the Delhi Excise Policy case
