Delhi HC seeks ED's reply on Arvind Kejriwal's challenge to excise case summons

New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in response to a petition filed by former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The plea challenges a Sessions Court order that upheld a summons issued to him by a magisterial court in connection with the ED's money laundering investigation into the alleged excise policy scam.
Justice Ravinder Dudeja directed the ED to file an affidavit addressing all objections, including preliminary ones, and scheduled the next hearing for September 10, 2025.
Representing Kejriwal were Senior Advocate Ramesh Gupta and Advocate Mudit Jain, while Advocate Zoheb Hossain appeared for the ED.
Kejriwal's petition contests the Sessions Court's September 17, 2024, ruling, which dismissed his challenge to two summonses issued after the magisterial court took cognisance of ED complaints.
These complaints stemmed from Kejriwal's alleged repeated non-compliance with summonses during the investigation into the now-defunct Delhi excise policy.
The ED claims Kejriwal deliberately avoided appearing despite receiving multiple notices. Based on these allegations, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra issued summonses on February 7 and March 7, 2024.
On March 16, 2024, Kejriwal was granted bail in one of the complaints. A day earlier, the Sessions Court had refused to stay the summons, denying his request for interim relief. The ED also accused Kejriwal of attempting to influence judicial proceedings by filing his challenge at the eleventh hour.
Arvind Kejriwal is currently out on bail granted by the Supreme Court in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21, 2024, and later by the CBI on June 26, 2024, while still in custody. On July 12, 2024, the apex court granted him interim bail in the ED's money laundering case, and subsequently, on September 13, 2024, he was granted regular bail in the CBI's corruption case linked to the same excise policy probe. (ANI)