ED issues sixth summons to Delhi CM Kejriwal in excise policy case

This is the sixth summons in this case by the ED to the former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. He was earlier called on December 21 and November 2 in 2023 and January 3, January 18, and February 2 this year.The chief minister always called these notices “illegal.”Kejriwal’s name has been mentioned multiple times in charge sheets filed by the ED in the case. The agency has said the accused were in touch with him regarding the preparation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021–22.AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, along with communications in-charge of the party Vijay Nair and some businessmen, have been arrested in this case by the ED till now.The ED had claimed in its charge sheet that the AAP used “proceeds of crime” to the tune of about Rs 45 crore in its Goa election campaign.The agency is also expected to file a fresh supplementary charge sheet in the case and may name the AAP as a “beneficiary” of the alleged kickbacks that were generated through the excise policy.It is alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021–22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelization and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP.The policy was subsequently scrapped and Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).



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