Arvind Kejriwal Might Skip ED Summons Again As He Leaves For Meditation Retreat Ahead Of Questioning In Liquor Policy Case

It appears that Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, will probably ignore a summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the second time related to the liquor policy case, according to sources quoted by NDTV on Wednesday.

Kejriwal has departed for a 10-day meditation retreat at a location that remains undisclosed. Reportedly, he had planned to leave yesterday, but he delayed his departure to participate in the INDI Alliance meeting.

Kejriwal was summoned to participate in the agency's investigation on Thursday (21 December). The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was initially called upon on 2 November, however, he disregarded this summons, choosing to campaign for the Madhya Pradesh election instead.

If Kejriwal neglects a summons three times, he will be subject to a non-bailable arrest warrant.

In April, the Central Bureau of Investigation interrogated Kejriwal for nine hours, after which he criticised the agency severely. He stated, "The CBI posed 56 questions to me, but all of it is baseless. I am confident that they have no substantial evidence against us," following his role as a witness in the investigation.

The accusations in the Delhi liquor case suggest that the 2022 revised alcohol sales policy by the AAP government for the national capital facilitated the acquisition of substantial kickbacks from cartels. It is further alleged that these funds were directed towards covering the party's election expenditures in Goa and other regions.

In particular, allegations have been made by both the ED and the CBI that the policy fostered cartelisation and showed preference to specific dealers who offered bribes to obtain liquor sale licenses.

The AAP has vehemently denied all allegations. The government of Delhi has announced a 27 per cent rise in earnings from the policy, resulting in a revenue generation of Rs 8,900 crore.

Both Manish Sisodia, who previously served as Kejriwal's deputy, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh have been taken into custody regarding this case. Sisodia was apprehended in February, while Singh was arrested in October.