Excise ‘scam’: Court refuses to stay proceedings against Kejriwal for skipping ED summons

A sessions court on Friday refused to stay the proceedings against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal before a magisterial court on the ED’s complaint against him for skipping summons in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal directed Kejriwal to approach the metropolitan magistrate for exemption from personal appearance in the matter. Kejriwal had moved the sessions court against the order passed by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra asking him to appear before her on March 16.

The Enforcement Directorate has filed two complaints before the magisterial court seeking Kejriwal’s prosecution for skipping multiple summonses issued to him in the case.

The latest complaint pertains to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor not honouring summonses no. 4 to 8 sent by the federal probe agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), ED the said. The ED had earlier moved the magisterial 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.

The court of ACMM Malhotra has listed the matter (regarding summonses no. 1 to 3) for hearing on March 16, along with the other complaint.

Kejriwal has till date skipped eight summonses issued by the agency.