New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the ongoing liquor scam investigation.
Kejriwal has been directed to appear at the central agency’s Delhi office on November 2 to assist with the probe.
This development comes on the heels of Kejriwal’s earlier summons by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April as part of the same case.
The ED’s decision to summon Kejriwal follows the Supreme Court’s recent denial of bail to Manish Sisodia, the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi. During the hearing, the judges noted the existence of a provisional money trail amounting to Rs. 338 crore, underscoring the importance of establishing a solid chain of evidence.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti, while hearing the bail pleas, ordered that the trial be expedited and completed within six to eight months. Since his arrest by the CBI on February 26, Sisodia has been in detention.
The Supreme Court indicated that the senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, who held key positions in the municipal government related to education and finance, might be eligible for bail if the trial progresses at a sluggish pace.
The investigative agencies are currently scrutinizing Delhi’s excise policy, which grants licenses to private liquor retail establishments. The CBI has alleged that liquor companies and intermediaries were actively involved in irregularities during the formulation and execution of this excise policy.
Furthermore, the agency has accused Amit, Dinesh, and Arjun Pandey, who is closely associated with Sisodia, of collecting “commission” from liquor licensees and funnelling it to “the accused public servants.”
