"Whatever decision court delivers, we will accept it": AAP's Sandeep Pathak over Kejriwal approaches HC over ED summons

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a plea moved by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against several summons issued to him by ED in Excise policy case.

After Arvind Kejriwal approached the Delhi High Court against the ED summons in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sandeep Pathak on Wednesday said that whatever decision the court delivers, they will accept it. "We have been saying this since the beginning that the entire case is political. As it's a fake and political case, hence the ED summons are also false on technical and intentional grounds. We have taken it to the court; we have immense faith in the court and whatever decision it delivers, we will accept it. We have to be patient and if we are true, then the judgement will be good too," Pathak told ANI.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a plea moved by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against several summons issued to him by ED in Excise policy case. The bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Manoj Jain after hearing the initial submissions of both sides, listed the matter for April 22, 2024. No formal notice was issued as ED opposed the issuance of formal notice as lawyers of ED appeared before the court on advance notice.

Last week, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal on two complaints filed by ED for non-compliance with summons issued by the agency. During the hearing, Kejriwal had appeared physically before the court.

According to the ED, the agency wants to record Kejriwal's statement in the case on issues like the formulation of policy, meetings held before it was finalized, and allegations of bribery. In its sixth charge sheet filed in the case on December 2, 2023, naming AAP leader Sanjay Singh and his aide Sarvesh Mishra, the ED claimed that the AAP used kickbacks worth Rs 45 crore generated via the policy as part of its assembly elections campaign in Goa in 2022.

The now-scrapped excise policy was aimed "at revitalizing the city's flagging liquor business" and replacing a sales-volume-based regime with a licence fee for traders. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had ordered a probe into alleged irregularities in the policy. AAP has accused Saxena's predecessor, Anil Baijal, of sabotaging the move with a few last-minute changes that resulted in lower-than-expected revenues.

Two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are in judicial custody in the case. Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning. On October 5, ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member. (ANI)

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