Arvind Kejriwal has so far skipped six summons
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has received a seventh summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), officials told NDTV this morning. Mr Kejriwal has been asked to appear before the probe agency on February 26 for questioning in connection with the Delhi liquor excise policy case.
He skipped the ED's sixth call on Monday with his party Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) terming the summons as "illegal" and asserting that the matter is now before the court.
Mr Kejriwal also skipped the February 2, January 19, January 3, December 21, and November 2 summons.
Mr Kejriwal, who has ignored the summons citing various prior commitments, maintains that he is prepared to cooperate with the probe agency but questions the timing and urgency of the summons.
The ED has approached the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi over Mr Kejriwal skipping its summonses. The court has directed him to be physically present before it on March 16.
The AAP has slammed the ED's actions as "politically motivated" and has alleged that the BJP wanted to arrest him to topple his government in Delhi.
The ED is investigating money laundering charges related to the Delhi liquor excise policy. The case revolves around accusations that the AAP government's revamped alcohol sales policy allowed it to receive kickbacks from cartels, allegedly funneled into funding election expenses in various states, including Goa.
While Mr Kejriwal has not been named as an accused in the case, two senior AAP leaders, including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, have faced arrests.