Arvind Kejriwal summoned by probe agency ED on Thursday in liquor policy case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked Arvind Kejriwal to appear before it on November 2 (Thursday) in connection with a money laundering case pertaining to the now-scrapped liquor policy.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning in connection with the money laundering case pertaining to the now-scrapped excise policy.

The financial watchdog has asked Arvind Kejriwal to appear before it on November 2 (Thursday).

The Chief Minister has been summoned in the same case that has resulted in the arrest of his former deputy Manish Sisodia in February this year and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on October 4.

Sanjay Singh has been sent to judicial custody till November 10.

The ED summons was issued to Arvind Kejriwal hours after the Supreme Court dismissed Manish Sisodia's bail plea in the money laundering case, stating that a money trail of Rs 338 crore was "tentatively established" in the case. Manish Sisodia is the prime accused in the case.

Kejriwal was called for questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the same case in April this year. However, the AAP supremo has not been named as an accused in the FIR filed by CBI in August last year.

Kejriwal was questioned by the CBI for over nine hours in connection with the corruption and criminal conspiracy probe in the case. "I was called at 11 am and they questioned me till 8.30pm. They questioned me in a cordial atmosphere. I want to thank CBI officers for their hospitality and courtesy. I answered all the questions because I did not have anything to hide," Kejriwal had said after returning from CBI office.

Responding to the recent summons issued by the ED, AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wanted to crush AAP at any cost. "They (BJP) want to arrest Arvind Kejriwal in a fake case and crush AAP," Bhardwaj said

Central probe agencies ED and CBI have alleged that the liquor policy rolled out by the AAP-led Delhi government resulted in cartelisation and those ineligible for liquor licences were favoured for monetary benefits.

However, Kejriwal and his party have denied the allegations and claimed that the new policy would have led to an increase in revenue share.