BREAKING: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal summoned by probe agency for 6th time

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the liquor policy scam case, asking him to appear before it on February 19. This is the sixth ED summon to the Delhi CM in the case.

Kejriwal has been asked to appear before the body at the nation's capital's headquarters. Despite receiving five summons in the case involving jailed Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, two of his top party leaders, he has not yet joined the probe.

A Delhi court earlier on February 7 ordered Kejriwal to come before it on February 17 in response to an ED allegation that he ignored a summons in a case involving the excise policy. The judge stated that Kejriwal was presumed to be "legally bound" to comply.

On February 2, Kejriwal disregarded the fifth summons from the ED, which led to the organization filing a new complaint against him for not following the order.

The convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had previously described the summonses as "illegal and politically motivated" in a letter to the ED. He said they were intended to keep him from participating in election campaigns.

The ED stated in its complaint that more investigation is underway, and Kejriwal has been called in for questioning many times, in an effort to uncover the involvement of others, including him, and to track down additional profits of crime.

The complaint claimed that Kejriwal committed three separate offences by intentionally omitting and failing to appear upon the summons on October 30 and December 18 and 22, last year. It said the ED may file a separate complaint against Kejriwal for evading summons on January 12, 2024.

The Delhi government's excise policy for 2021–22, which granted licenses to liquor sellers, is accused of enabling cartelization and favoring particular dealers who had reportedly paid bribes for it. The AAP has vehemently denied these allegations.