Arvind Kejriwal Defies ED Summons For 3rd Time, Cites Rajya Sabha Elections, Republic Day As Reason

Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal in a letter also asked the ED to clarify the nature and scope of the inquiry or investigation for which he was being called.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday skipped the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the third time in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, saying he was busy with the Rajya Sabha elections and the Republic Day preparations. In a letter to the probe agency, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief also asked the ED to clarify the nature and scope of the inquiry or investigation for which he was being called and to respond to his earlier letters where he had raised legal objections to the summons.

Kejriwal accused the ED of maintaining unwarranted secrecy and being opaque and arbitrary in the present matter. He said he was ready to answer any questionnaire from the agency if it seeks any information or documents from him.

The ED had summoned Kejriwal as a witness in the money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy, which allegedly caused a loss of Rs 1,000 crore to the state exchequer. The agency had earlier summoned him on November 2 and December 21, but he had refused to appear, calling the notices “illegal” and “politically motivated”.

Kejriwal’s deputy Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in the same case. The AAP on Wednesday questioned the timing of the ED summons and alleged that the agency had not answered in what capacity Kejriwal was being summoned - as a witness or an accused. The party claimed that the entire excise policy case was politically motivated and an attempt to stop Kejriwal from campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Kejriwal said in his letter that he was held up in the process and run up to the Rajya Sabha elections, where three seats from Delhi are up for grabs. He said he was also quite occupied in planning and preparations for several programmes and functions for the Republic Day on January 26.

Kejriwal said he had not received any response from the ED to his comprehensive submissions, where he had brought to the agency’s notice the critical dimensions and legal objections involved in issuing summons to him to appear in person.

He said he knew about several cases where the ED had given a detailed explanation or response to any of the queries or apprehensions raised by a person who may have been issued summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). “But in my case, you have refused to even acknowledge the receipt of the detailed submissions made in response to the summons issued to me,” he said.

He reiterated his firm commitment to the rule of law and his unflinching undertaking to render any co-operation or assistance in any inquiry or investigations that may be as per law, fair, just and expedient.

“However, as stated above, your silence confirms my apprehensions about certain vested interests and extraneous as well as malafide considerations prevailing over any objective, rational, fair or impartial inquiry or investigations,” his letter read.

He alleged that the news of the summons reached the media before him, due to which he had to face media trial. He said the ED’s non-disclosure and non-response approach could not sustain the test of law, equity or justice.

“Your obstinacy tantamounts to assuming the role of judge, jury and executioner at the same time which is not acceptable in our country governed by the rule of law,” he said.

After he was issued the second summons in December, the chief minister had left on his pre-announced programme of a 10-day ‘Vipassana’ meditation course and returned on December 30.