Mr. Kejriwal will participate in the hearing via video conference, according to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This action was taken in response to the ED’s eighth summons, which it issued on February 27 and scheduled for Mr. Kejriwal to appear at the agency’s headquarters on March 4.
The current investigation focuses on purported anomalies in the creation and execution of the Delhi excise policy (2021–22). Mr. Kejriwal’s statement on issues like policy formation and bribery charges is sought by the ED.
Seven ED summonses have previously been ignored by Mr. Kejriwal, who has described them as “illegal and politically motivated.” In a statement, the AAP asked the ED to hold off on issuing any more summonses while it awaited the court’s ruling.
The excise policy promised a more contemporary shopping experience with deals and discounts, and it was implemented to reform the spirits industry in the nation’s capital. However, the insurance was cancelled as a result of Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s directive to look into purported anomalies. Anil Baijal, Mr. Saxena’s predecessor, is accused by the AAP of making hurried modifications that negatively impacted the policy’s revenue projections.
Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, two well-known AAP leaders, are already been held in judicial custody in relation to the case. The ED detained Mr. Singh, a member of the Rajya Sabha, on October 5, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) detained Mr. Sisodia, the former deputy chief minister of Delhi, on February 26 of last year.
