The order on Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging the summons in the alleged excise scam was reserved by the Court today (march 15th).
NEW DELHI: Today, a Delhi sessions court reserved its order on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition contesting a lower court’s summoning order related to two complaints lodged by the Enforcement Directorate regarding an alleged excise scam.
The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict later today after 2 pm.
The complaints from the investigative agency were initiated due to Kejriwal’s repeated avoidance of its summonses.
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The court has slated the pronouncement of its order for later today, following a series of hearings and arguments presented by both parties involved. The decision followed after Kejriwal evaded multiple summonses issued by the ED.
On Thursday, additional sessions Judge Rakesh Syal heard the arguments of the advocates representing Kejriwal and the Enforcement Directorate on the first order by which a magisterial court had on February 7 summoned the politician for February 17.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra had, however, granted Kejriwal exemption from personal appearance before it on February 17 after he appeared via video conference and directed him to appear before it on March 16.
Earlier today, the sessions judge heard the arguments on Kejriwal’s plea against ACMM’s second order, dated March 7, by which Kejriwal was summoned for March 16.
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Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, representing Kejriwal, argued for a stay on the magisterial court’s initial order during Thursday’s hearing. This latest complaint from the Enforcement Directorate revolves around Kejriwal’s non-compliance with summonses numbered 4 to 6 under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
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On ED summons, Advocate Ramesh Gupta, representing CM Arvind Kejriwal, told the media
“We have two revisions against two summoning orders. One argument already had yesterday, today we have taken some more pleas, that, before prosecuting under 174 IPC, the ED needed to give a so-cause notice under section 63 that a penalty can be imposed for willful default and only after that the complaint could have been filed. Secondly, the summon was sent to Arvind Kejriwal, the CM and he has given the reason for his absence because of responsibilities as a CM in all these days. But that reply wasn’t considered and responded to, either by the ED or the court while issuing the summons…”
