Arvind Kejriwal receives 8th ED summons regarding Delhi excise policy, required to attend on March 4

The ongoing legal battle between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Enforcement Directorate continues, with Kejriwal receiving his eighth summons in the excise policy case. The ED persists in its investigation into alleged money laundering, while AAP maintains its stance against the summons.

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In a continued legal saga, Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, received his eighth summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the excise policy case. Despite skipping the seventh summons, Kejriwal has been called upon again to appear on March 4.

The ED, persistent in its efforts, sent the latest summons to Kejriwal after he failed to appear for questioning on the previous occasion. This comes as part of the ongoing investigation into money laundering allegations linked to the excise policy.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), to which Kejriwal belongs, has consistently skipped all seven previous summons. In response to the ED's actions, the probe agency has taken the matter to court, expressing dissatisfaction with Kejriwal's lack of cooperation.

Kejriwal has consistently challenged the legality of the summons, stating that the matter is sub judice. AAP has urged the ED to await the court's decision rather than repeatedly issuing summons.

A Delhi court, acknowledging a complaint filed by the ED, directed Kejriwal to appear before it on February 17. This directive followed Kejriwal's failure to comply with previous summons, with the court noting his legal obligation to do so.

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The former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer has been called for questioning on multiple occasions since November 2023, with the most recent summons scheduled for March 4.

The excise policy case revolves around allegations that the Delhi government's 2021-22 policy facilitated cartelization and favored certain liquor traders who purportedly engaged in bribery. Despite AAP's denials, the policy was scrapped following a recommendation for a CBI probe.

In July 2022, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi recommended a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities, prompting the ED to register a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).