'ED Should've Waited For Court's Verdict': Kejriwal On Skipping Summons In Excise Policy Case

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that the Enforcement Directorate should have waited for the court's verdict in the excise policy case before issuing summons to him for questioning.   "We are giving them replies as per the law. Now, they have filed a case. ED should wait for the court's judgement before issuing any fresh summon..." Kejriwal said when asked about skipping the ED summons in the past.

#WATCH | On skipping ED summons, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal says "We are giving them replies as per the law. Now, they have filed a case. ED should wait for the court's judgement before issuing any fresh summon..." pic.twitter.com/y5HYBYfK3h — ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2024

Kejriwal on Monday skipped the sixth summon issued by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy case linked to money laundering. The Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson, Priyanka Kakkar also said that the party has replied to all the ED summons and the investigative agency should have waited for the court's verdict in the case.

The AAP called the ED summons 'illegal' saying that the matter of the validity of the summons is now in court.

"We have replied to all summons from the ED. In court, the last date was February 17th and CM Arvind Kejriwal was virtually present there. The next date of hearing is March 16th. We are law-abiding people; whatever the court says, we will follow. ED should have waited for the verdict on the case. So this is a wrong summon," Priyanka Kakkar said.

"ED itself has gone to court. Instead of sending summons again and again, ED should wait for the court's decision," a party source said earlier today.

Meanwhile, on February 2, Kejriwal skipped the ED's summons for the fifth time in connection with the money laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22 case. Kejriwal, on February 17, appeared before the Rouse Avenue Court via video conferencing following a complaint by the ED over his alleged non-compliance with its summons.

The Delhi Chief Minister, while appearing virtually, informed the court that he wanted to join the court proceedings physically, but due to the confidence motion and budget sessions, he was unable to attend physically.

The ED recently filed a fresh complaint case under sections 190 (1)(a) and 200 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 63 (4) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for non-attendance in compliance with Section 50 of PMLA.

Amid all this, sources in the ED claimed that the court has taken cognizance of a complaint by a probe agency under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief.

Section 174 pertains to not obeying a legal order to attend a certain place in person or by an agent. The complaint was filed against Kejriwal for intentionally disobeying the first three summons issued to him, sources said.