The Delhi High Court asked Arvind Kejriwal to respond to the Enforcement Directorate challenge to his acquittal in cases over alleged non-appearance. The matters arise from the excise policy probe, where the agency has contested relief granted earlier, seeking reconsideration of his acquittal in two related proceedings.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court asked former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to respond to the Enforcement Directorate’s challenge to his acquittal in two separate matters arising from his alleged failure to appear before the agency in the excise policy investigation.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice to Kejriwal on two petitions filed by the ED against the trial court’s January 22 orders and scheduled the case for hearing on April 29.
The court said,
“Respondent has chosen not to appear despite service. Issue fresh notice and list it for hearing on April 29,”
The ED told the trial court that Kejriwal, while in office, deliberately ignored summonses and did not cooperate with the probe.
The agency also alleged he raised baseless objections to avoid attending. The trial court, however, found that the ED had not proved Kejriwal intentionally disobeyed the summonses.
The ED maintains that other accused persons communicated with Kejriwal while framing the now-scrapped excise policy, which allegedly conferred undue benefits on them and generated kickbacks for the Aam Aadmi Party.
Kejriwal is currently out on interim bail in a separate money-laundering matter, and the Supreme Court has referred questions about the “need and necessity of arrest” under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to a larger bench for detailed consideration.
Separately, on February 27 the trial court discharged Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and 21 others in the liquor policy case, finding the CBI’s prosecution lacked merit and was discredited.
The CBI’s challenge to that discharge remains pending before the high court.
Click Here to Read More Reports On Arvind Kejriwal
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
