ED issues fresh summons to Kejriwal in Delhi liquor policy case

NEW DELHI: In a major development in the Delhi liquor policy case, the Enforcement Directorate has summoned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning on December 21.

This is the second summons to the AAP supremo in connection with the case.

The Delhi chief minister was earlier summoned by the probe agency on November 2. However, he had skipped the summon, citing electoral and governance commitments.

In his reply to the previous ED summons, Kejriwal said that the summons didn’t specify in what capacity he is being called and appeared to be “a fishing and roving inquiry”.

His Aam Aadmi Party had termed the ED summons “illegal and politically motivated” and demanded it should be taken back immediately.

The AAP said that the ED summons to Kejriwal was sent on directions of the BJP, which runs the government at Centre.

If Kejriwal appears before ED, it would be the second time a central probe agency will be questioning him.

On April 16, Kejriwal was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for around nine hours in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was the first big AAP leader to be arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the liquor policy, which was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition.