The Delhi High Court issued a fresh notice to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday, in response to pleas from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging his acquittal in two cases related to the excise policy summons.Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma noted that a prior notice had not been served.
The counsel for the ED claimed that notice was issued to Kejriwal on April 1; however, no appearance was made on his behalf. The judge remarked, “Registry reports that (he is) not served. I will issue fresh notice. Respondent has not been served,” and scheduled a hearing for July 22.
The ED’s complaints to the trial court allege that Kejriwal intentionally disobeyed summonses and did not comply with the investigation requests. It contends that Kejriwal raised frivolous objections and played a role in delaying the investigation process.
In previous proceedings, the ED’s counsel argued that the trial court made a serious error by acquitting Kejriwal, despite clear evidence that summons were issued and duly received.
The trial court, in its orders dated January 22, ruled that the ED failed to demonstrate that Kejriwal intentionally disobeyed the summons. The trial court stated that “Neither the service of summons through emails has been proved by the ED nor the process of issuing summons to any person under Section 50(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) via email has been proved to be in accordance with the law.”
The ED alleges that Kejriwal colluded with other accused to formulate a scrapped excise policy that led to undue benefits and kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party.
Currently, Kejriwal is on interim bail related to the money laundering case. The Supreme Court has referred questions about the need for his arrest under the PMLA to a larger bench for deeper consideration.
On February 27, the trial court had dropped all charges against Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, and 21 others, stating that the CBI’s case lacked substantial basis and could not withstand judicial scrutiny.
Alongside this, the CBI’s plea challenging the discharge remains pending in the high court. These developments highlight the ongoing legal tussle surrounding Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party amid the much-discussed excise policy allegations. As the case progresses, the implications for both Kejriwal and the party remain significant.
