The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a fresh notice to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging his acquittal in cases linked to alleged non-compliance with summons in the excise policy money laundering case.
Hearing the matter, a single-judge Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma observed that despite advance service of notice, there was no representation on behalf of Kejriwal. The court directed that a fresh notice be issued and called for records from the trial court. The case is now scheduled for further hearing on April 29.
ED challenges acquittal
Appearing for the ED, counsel Zoheb Hossain argued that the trial court had committed a “grave error” in acquitting Kejriwal. He submitted that the summons issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had been duly served and acknowledged and did not require further formal proof.
The central agency has challenged the order of the Rouse Avenue Court, which had cleared Kejriwal in the complaint cases accusing him of skipping multiple summons issued under Section 50 of the PMLA. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal had ruled that the evidence on record was insufficient to proceed against Kejriwal for non-compliance.
The ED had alleged that Kejriwal failed to appear despite being served five separate summons, prompting the agency to initiate prosecution. It also argued that non-compliance by a senior public figure could set an adverse precedent.
The appeal comes amid ongoing legal battles in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy case.
Parallel CBI proceedings
In a related development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also moved the Delhi High Court against a trial court order that discharged all 23 accused, including Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in the corruption case linked to the policy.
The trial court had held that the prosecution failed to establish even a prima facie case against the accused.
Matter reaches Supreme Court
Kejriwal has meanwhile approached the Supreme Court, challenging the refusal to transfer the CBI plea away from the Bench of Justice Sharma. In his petition, he has raised concerns over the impartiality of proceedings and contested certain observations made during earlier hearings.
The High Court had recently stayed adverse remarks made by the trial court against a CBI officer while issuing notice on the agency’s revision plea.
The legal battle over the Delhi excise policy continues to unfold across multiple courts, with key hearings lined up in the coming weeks.