Delhi High Court Denies Kejriwal Protection in ED Case Linked to Excise Policy

In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has declined to provide Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with protection from coercive action in a money laundering case related to the city’s excise policy. The decision comes as Kejriwal faces a series of summonses from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning.

A bench comprising Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain heard Kejriwal’s application seeking protection and scheduled further consideration for April 22, aligning it with the main petition challenging the summonses.

“We have heard both sides, and we are not inclined at this stage to grant protection. The respondent is at liberty to file a reply,” the bench remarked.

Kejriwal’s interim relief application is part of his broader legal challenge against the ED’s summonses, which have increased in frequency, with the latest being the ninth, calling for his appearance on Thursday.

During the proceedings, Kejriwal’s senior counsel also requested a deferral of the summons slated for the day. However, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the ED, noted that the scheduled time had elapsed and Kejriwal had not appeared.

Kejriwal has consistently rejected the ED’s summonses, labeling them as illegal. The case centers on allegations of corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of Delhi’s excise policy for 2021-22, a policy that was subsequently scrapped.

Two prominent AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are currently in judicial custody in connection with the case. Kejriwal’s name has appeared multiple times in the ED’s charge sheets, with the agency alleging that other accused individuals were in communication with Kejriwal regarding the excise policy, resulting in purported undue benefits and kickbacks to the AAP.

As the legal battle intensifies, Kejriwal and his legal team continue to navigate a complex web of allegations and legal procedures, with the outcome of the case likely to have significant implications for the political landscape in Delhi.

 If you like this law news, share it with a friend!