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NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate has asked Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to join investigation at its headquarters here in the alleged excise policy scam and money laundering case on Feb 19, two days after the AAP convener has to appear before a court to explain why he has not heeded earlier calls from the agency.
This is the sixth summons to Kejriwal since Nov last year.ED sources have maintained that Kejriwal’s questioning is crucial to its ongoing investigation in the case where his AAP and senior party colleagues have been accused of taking bribes of Rs 100 crore from a liquor cartel controlled by one ‘South Group’.
Two of his close colleagues, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, are in judicial custody for allegedly taking bribes.
ED moved court under IPC section, not PMLA
On Feb 7, a local court had issued summons to Kejriwal asking him to be present in court on Feb 17 to explain why he has repeatedly not appeared before ED’s probe team. The agency had moved court against him not under PMLA but under IPC Section 174, where an accused can be jailed for one month for each case of disobedience to summons.
In her order, additional chief metropolitan magistrate Divya Malhotra had said, “In view of the discussion, the complaint… accompanied by the supporting documents, discloses all the necessary ingredients constituting the offence punishable under Section 174 of IPC. Section 63(4) of PMLA enables prosecution under Sec 174 for disobedience of any direction under Section 50 of the Act.”
The judge also noted that those summoned by ED were bound to comply with the same by virtue of Section 50(3) of PMLA.
This is the sixth summons to Kejriwal since Nov last year.ED sources have maintained that Kejriwal’s questioning is crucial to its ongoing investigation in the case where his AAP and senior party colleagues have been accused of taking bribes of Rs 100 crore from a liquor cartel controlled by one ‘South Group’.
Two of his close colleagues, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, are in judicial custody for allegedly taking bribes.
ED moved court under IPC section, not PMLA
On Feb 7, a local court had issued summons to Kejriwal asking him to be present in court on Feb 17 to explain why he has repeatedly not appeared before ED’s probe team. The agency had moved court against him not under PMLA but under IPC Section 174, where an accused can be jailed for one month for each case of disobedience to summons.
In her order, additional chief metropolitan magistrate Divya Malhotra had said, “In view of the discussion, the complaint… accompanied by the supporting documents, discloses all the necessary ingredients constituting the offence punishable under Section 174 of IPC. Section 63(4) of PMLA enables prosecution under Sec 174 for disobedience of any direction under Section 50 of the Act.”
The judge also noted that those summoned by ED were bound to comply with the same by virtue of Section 50(3) of PMLA.
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