Liquor Policy Case: Kejriwal Moves Sessions Court Against Magistrate Court's Summons Over ED's Non-Compliance Complaint

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approached a Sessions Court on Thursday (14 March) against the Magistrate Court's summons to him over the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) non-compliance complaint.

After Kejriwal skipped eight ED summonses in the now-scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy case, a complaint was filed by the law enforcement agency. The Rouse Avenue court then asked him to appear on 16 March.

This was the agency's second complaint to the court over Kejriwal's non-compliance with the summons. On the earlier complaint, Kejriwal appeared before the court on 17 February via videoconferencing.

The matter was then listed for 16 March as Kejriwal's counsel said that the Delhi CM would appear physically for the next hearing and at that time he was occupied with the Budget Session in Delhi Assembly.

Kejriwal has been calling the summons illegal and has set some conditions to appear before ED. One was a date after 12 March and the second that he will attend the hearing via video conferencing.

However, the ED officials denied the second condition saying that there is no such provision for questioning via video conferencing. Observers say that fearing arrest Kejriwal is hoping to appear virtually.

Three senior AAP leaders -- Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendar Jain -- have already been arrested. While Sisodia and Singh are arrested in the excise policy case, Satyendar Jain is accused in a disproportionate assets case.