ED To Issue Fourth Summon To Arvind Kejriwal; Refutes AAP's Claim Of Delhi CM's Arrest

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has skipped several summons issued by the ED in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case.

Amid the speculation that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal could be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate today, the Delhi Police has increased security around the Chief Minister's official residence. The arrest alarm was raised by AAP ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj. However, the ED has repotedly refuted the Aam Aadmi Party's claim of Delhi CM's arrest. According to latest report, the ED is going to issue fourth summon to CM Kejriwal.

On the other hand, AAP sources told Zee News TV that Kejriwal is likely to go to Gujarat tour for three-four days. "Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will be on a three-day visit to Gujarat from January 6 to 8, in view of Lok Sabha elections. During his visit, he will hold meetings with party workers and also take part in public events in the state. He will also meet jailed party leader Chaitra Vasava and his family," said AAP.

Kejriwal has so far skipped three summons issued by the ED in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case. AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh have alreday been arrested by the ED in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy case.

#BreakingNews: अरविंद केजरीवाल के घर की सुरक्षा बढ़ी, घर के बाहर पुलिस बल तैनात#CMKejriwal #ED #CMHouse #Security | @Nidhijourno @anchorjiya @balrampandy pic.twitter.com/ByPglPsMWV — Zee News (@ZeeNews) January 4, 2024

Earlier yesterday, taking to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Delhi's Law and PWD Minister, Atishi, said, "News coming in that ED is going to raid Arvind Kejriwal's residence tomorrow morning. Arrest likely." After Atishi's post, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also made similar claim. "It is heard that tomorrow morning, ED is going to reach the house of Chief Minister Kejriwal and arrest him," Bharadwaj said on X.

The AAP has claimed vendetta politics saying that Sisodia has been in jail for around one year but the ED has failed to provide any proof against him. On the other hand, the BJP asked that if the Delhi CM has done no wrong, then why is he evading ED summons.

The ED issued a third summons to CM Kejriwal on December 22 last year, in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam case, asking him to appear before the agency on January 3. However, CM Kejriwal termed the summon illegal in his reply to the ED. However, he expressed his readiness to cooperate with the investigation but declined to appear on the summoned date. 

Kejriwal further questioned the timing of the notice as a move to stop him from electioneering ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2024, as per the party sources. The Delhi CM was first called by the central agency to appear on November 2, but he did not depose, alleging that the notice was "vague, motivated, and unsustainable in law." He further alleged that the said summons appeared to be politically motivated and issued for extraneous considerations.