The Delhi court has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to appear on February 17th, requiring him to provide an explanation for his absence during five previous summonses from the Enforcement Directorate. The agency is conducting an investigation into potential money laundering associated with the liquor excise policy scam case in the national capital.

Mr. Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party has said it is "studying the court order... and will take action as per law".

Last week, the central probe agency lodged a new complaint against Mr. Kejriwal, citing his failure to comply with their directives. The agency emphasized that, as a public servant, he is obligated to adhere to the orders of a government agency and cannot disregard them.

On February 2nd, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party disregarded the fifth summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate.

Mr. Kejriwal also failed to appear for the summons on January 19, asserting that the notices from the agency, which he accused of acting under the directives of the BJP-led center to target political opponents ahead of the Lok Sabha election, were illegal. Additionally, he did not attend the summons on November 2, December 21, and January 31.

The party has slammed the ED's actions as "politically motivated" and has complained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "sole aim... is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal and topple the Delhi government.".

Earlier in April 2023, Mr. Kejriwal was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in relation to this case. Regarding the interrogation, he expressed his conviction that the CBI had no concrete evidence, dismissing the 56 questions posed to him as baseless.

Despite his status as a non-accused, two senior AAP members, including former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, have been arrested in connection with the case. Mr. Sisodia was detained in February last year, while Mr. Singh was apprehended in October.

The case refers to allegations that the AAP government's revamped alcohol sales policy allowed it to receive crores in kickbacks from cartels and that this money was channelled into funding poll expenses in Goa and other states.

Both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have accused the policy of fostering cartelization and showing favoritism towards specific dealers who allegedly paid bribes to obtain liquor sale licenses.

The AAP has vehemently denied all allegations. The Delhi government reported a notable 27 percent rise in revenue from the policy, generating ₹8,900 crore. Additionally, the party has accused the BJP of orchestrating the involvement of central agencies to unfairly target them.