On Thursday, a Delhi court issued summons to Arvind Kejriwal following a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The plea states that despite previous summons issued by the agency in connection with the money laundering case linked to the Delhi Excise Policy scam, the Delhi Chief Minister has not appeared before them.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Divya Malhotra of Rouse Avenue Court issued the summons, directing Kejriwal to appear before the court on March 16th.

On March 6th, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) lodged a fresh complaint against Kejriwal, contending that despite being summoned multiple times for questioning regarding the purported Delhi Excise Policy scam, he has consistently declined to cooperate with the probe agency.

The fresh complaint was filed subsequent to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor's refusal to appear before the ED on March 4th, marking the eighth instance of non-compliance since his initial summons on November 2, 2023. Kejriwal has characterized the ED's summons as "illegal" and "politically motivated."

The second complaint case initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Kejriwal. Previously, on February 3, 2024, the federal anti-money laundering agency filed a case against him. Kejriwal has been summoned by the Court in relation to that case as well, and he is expected to appear in person on March 16th.

The Enforcement Directorate's investigation into allegations of money laundering is rooted in a case initiated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 17, 2022. This case pertains to purported irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy for the year 2021-22. The CBI's case was filed based on a complaint lodged by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on July 20, 2022.

Following this, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) proceeded to file a case on the money laundering aspect against the individuals involved on August 22, 2022. Allegations suggest that a criminal conspiracy was orchestrated by AAP leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia, alongside other unidentified private individuals/entities during the formulation stage of the policy.

It has been alleged that the conspiracy originated from intentional loopholes deliberately inserted or created within the policy. These purportedly aimed to benefit certain licensees and collaborators following the conclusion of the tender process.

Central agencies allege that kickbacks were facilitated through hawala channels by individuals in the liquor industry from South India to certain public servants affiliated with the AAP. These transactions were purportedly intended to advance the goals of establishing a monopoly and cartelization among liquor manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. It's noteworthy that senior AAP leaders such as Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are already in custody in connection with the same case.