Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made a physical appearance before the Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday regarding the Enforcement Directorate summons case.
The court granted him bail for skipping previous summonses issued by the agency, marking his first physical appearance in connection with the case. Previously, Kejriwal had appeared via video conferencing.
The Enforcement Directorate has lodged two complaints against Kejriwal for failing to comply with their summonses related to the Delhi excise policy case. They seek to record his statement on various aspects of the policy formulation process and bribery allegations.
However, Kejriwal has consistently skipped the summonses, denouncing them as illegal and politically motivated.
The court granted bail to Kejriwal upon furnishing a bond and surety bond totaling ₹50,000. The next hearing, scheduled for April 1, will address the supply of copies under CrPC.
“The court directed him (Arvind Kejriwal) to furnish a bond and surety bond for the sum of ₹50,000. Both bonds were furnished and Kejriwal was allowed to go. After that we moved an application for supply of copies under 207 and 91 CrPC for which reply and arguments - the date is fixed for April 1,” advocate Ramesh Gupta stated.
Despite Kejriwal's claims of explaining his absences, the court refused to stay the summonses on Friday. The second complaint filed against him prompted the issuance of fresh summons for his personal appearance on March 16. The charges against Kejriwal and others revolve around alleged kickbacks worth ₹45 crore utilized for election campaigns in Goa in 2022.
AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are already in jail facing similar charges. The party alleges that the Centre aims to prevent Kejriwal from campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by pursuing legal actions through the Enforcement Directorate.
