New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday has served the seventh summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and asked him to appear for questioning on February 26 in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case.
The investigation agency, while issuing the fresh summons, rejected Kejriwal’s contention that a fresh notice for his attendance was wrong as the matter is sub judice before a local court. Kejriwal had skipped the ED’s sixth call on Monday with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) terming the summons as “illegal” and asserting that the matter is now before the court.
Reacting on the development, the Aam Aadmi Party said that in retaliation to the defeat in the Chandigarh mayoral election, the “BJP’s ED” has sent the seventh illegal summons to Kejriwal.
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AAP leader Atishi said, “When the court is addressing the non-appearance case, why can’t the ED wait for the court’s decision? The fact that the seventh summons was issued without waiting for the court’s decision is evidence that the ED is not concerned with any legal process or investigation; all these are just attempts to intimidate and threaten AAP and the Delhi.”
Atishi added, “The ED has sent the seventh illegal summons to CM Arvind Kejriwal. The CM has replied to all the summonses from the ED. We have raised legal questions about all the summonses sent so far by the Enforcement Directorate, questioning the basis for these summonses to the Chief Minister. However, ED has not replied to any of our queries.”
She added that the ED took Kejriwal to the court for “non-appearance on summons”. Since the ED has taken the matter to the court, why is it not waiting for the court’s decision? If the court is hearing the matter, why can’t ED wait?”
The senior AAP leader added, “ED is not able to wait because this is not any legal proceeding or investigation. This is only a way to intimidate and threaten CM Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party.”