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The bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri recorded the submissions of both parties while listing the matter for December 19, 2024.
The Delhi High Court, recently, issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate in a petition filed by Arvind Kejriwal challenging summons issued to him on ED’s complaints in the money laundering case related to the now defunct liquor excise policy.
The CBI registered a case in August 2022 for alleged corruption in the formulation of the Delhi Excise Policy. The ED initiated a parallel investigation under PMLA, issuing several summonses to Kejriwal between October 2023 and February 2024. Kejriwal submitted written responses but did not appear in person, leading to the filing of the complaint cases. He argued that his disobedience was not intentional, as he had provided valid reasons for his absence and had always expressed a willingness to cooperate.
Additionally, Kejriwal contended that the trial court improperly took cognizance and issued summonses without considering the applicable provisions of PMLA, which supersede the IPC in matters related to the excise policy. He also argued that the trial court failed to consider that the ED had not sought the necessary sanctions for prosecution and had not proven that his disobedience was intentional. Furthermore, Kejriwal asserted that the case should have been heard in a Special Court under PMLA, as prescribed by law.
The appellate court, however, dismissed Kejriwal’s revision petitions against the complaints filed by ED noting that the language of Sub Section (4) of Section 63 of PMLA, which begins with a non-obstante clause, indicated that despite liability under Section 63(2)(c) of PMLA, a person who intentionally disobeys a direction under Section 50 of PMLA is also liable under Section 174 of the IPC.
The appellate court held that the fact that the ED had not taken action under Section 63(2)(c) for disobedience of summons, or that summons were reissued to the petitioner, did not imply that the reasons provided by the petitioner for non-appearance were accepted as genuine by the Investigating Officer or that the petitioner was exonerated.
In August 2024, the Rouse Avenue Court granted authorization to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to initiate prosecution against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal concerning the now-defunct liquor excise policy case.
Case Title: Arvind Kejriwal v ED
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