The 5th Public Prosecutor’s Office summons Kejriwal in the alcohol policy case.

Delhi’s Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Arvind Kejriwal, has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the fifth time in connection to a money laundering case related to the Delhi liquor policy. Despite receiving four previous summonses, Kejriwal has consistently dismissed them as “illegal” and “politically motivated.”

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The most recent summons, dated February 2, is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering linked to the Delhi government’s decision to revoke the liquor policy in July 2023 amid corruption allegations. Kejriwal, along with other party leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, recently undertook a three-day trip to Goa.

Kejriwal previously received summonses on January 18 and January 3, both of which he ignored, citing the party’s engagement in the preparations for the Rajya Sabha election in Delhi and Republic Day celebrations. The ED’s persistent pursuit of Kejriwal is connected to suspicions surrounding the excise policy for 2021-22, which granted licenses to liquor dealers and faced accusations of favoritism and bribery.

On November 2 and December 21 of the previous year, Kejriwal had also declined to appear before the ED. On the latter date, he opted for a 10-day Vipassana meditation camp instead. The excise policy, which aimed to reform the liquor business in Delhi by replacing a sales volume-based system with a license fee for traders, was abandoned following allegations of irregularities.

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI investigation, and the ED initiated a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Last year, party MP Sanjay Singh and former deputy Manish Sisodia were detained in connection to the case. The AAP consistently denies allegations of enabling cartelization and corruption through its excise policy.

The policy, designed to boost the city’s liquor business by introducing discounts and promotions, was discarded after Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena launched an investigation into purported irregularities. The AAP contends that last-minute adjustments by Saxena’s predecessor, Anil Baijal, led to lower-than-expected revenue and ultimately undermined the plan.

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