New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (January 22) deferred hearing to April 23 on a plea filed by former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal against summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.
A bench comprising Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Dharmesh Sharma, while noting that repeated adjournments in the matter had delayed the hearing, aid no further adjournments would be given.
While Kejriwal’s counsel on Wednesday sought an adjournment due to the unavailability of the senior counsel, the counsel appearing for the ED said that the plea was now infrucuous.
“No further adjournments shall be granted,” the bench said while deferring the hearing to April 23, news agency PTI reported.
Kejriwal moved High Court after ED issued him a ninth summon to appear before it
Kejriwal moved the High Court after a ninth summon was issued to him by the ED to appear on March 21, 2024.
Kejriwal failed to get any interim relief from the High Court and the ED arrested him in the excise policy-linked money laundering case on March 21 last year.
Apex court granted Kejriwal interim bail in money laundering case
Kejriwal later challenged his arrest in the money laundering case first before the High Court, which upheld his arrest, and then Supreme Court, which granted him interim bail on July 12 last year.
The apex court, while referring the matter to a larger bench, granted Kejriwal interim bail, saying certain legal questions raised by him in his plea challenging his arrest in the money laundering case need to be considered by a larger bench.
“As we are referring the matter to a larger bench, we have to, despite our findings on “reasons to believe”, consider whether interim bail should be granted to Arvind Kejriwal. Given the fact that right to life and liberty is sacrosanct, and Arvind Kejriwal has suffered incarceration of over 90 days, and that the questions referred to above require in-depth consideration by a larger bench, we direct that Arvind Kejriwal may be released on interim bail,” the apex court said in its order
What has the ED alleged?
The ED has alleged that Kejriwal was the kingpin/key conspirator in formulation of the Delhi Excise Policy, which favoured certain persons in exchange for kickbacks from liquor businessmen. It has further alleged that Kejriwal was involved in the use of proceeds of crime generated in the Goa election campaign of Aam Aadmi Party.
