NEW DELHI: According to reports, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved the Delhi High Court challenging all the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi liquor policy scam case.
The development comes days after Kejriwal approached the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court challenging summons issued to him by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on a complaint filed by the ED for non-compliance of the summons issued by them.
Following this, the Court had directed Kejriwal to appear before it on March 16.
On non-appearance on the ED's Kejriwal's lawyer had told the Delhi Court, "He is a common man. Wo ek shirt pehente hai, woh bhi pant ke bahar nikaal ke. He is indeed a common man. Dress nahi badalta bar bar din me, mehenge kapde nahi pehenta."
He had added that for appearing before the ED, many "arrangements have to be made", and that Kejriwal's non-appearance can't be said to be intentional.
"There is a reason as a Chief Minister I said I can't come. And the magistrate has not considered it," Kejriwal had submitted.
The said petition was filed by Kejriwal before Special Judge Rakesh Syal following ED's two complaints against him for not complying with its summons.
Notably, Kejriwal has till date skipped eight summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the excise policy case.
ED had approached the magistrate court on February 3 and March 6 with a complaint seeking initiation of proceedings against Kejriwal under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for not appearing before investigators despite repeated summons issued to him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
As per Section 174 of the IPC, a person not appearing despite summons issued by a public servant shall be punished with imprisonment up to one month and a fine of Rs 500.
The investigating agency's eight summons to Kejriwal were dated March 4, February 26, February 19, February 2, January 18, January 3, and December 22 and November 2 last year, asking him to join the investigation into an alleged money laundering case related to the Delhi liquor excise policy case.
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