Delhi High Court Issues Fresh Notice To Arvind Kejriwal In ED Plea Challenging Acquittal In Excise Summons Case

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma noted that the earlier notice issued to Kejriwal had not been served, as per the court registry’s report. “Registry reports that (he is) not served. I will issue fresh notice. Respondent has not been served,” the Court observed while directing issuance of a fresh notice.

The matter has now been listed for hearing on July 22.

The cases arise from complaints filed by the ED before the trial court, alleging that Kejriwal deliberately failed to comply with multiple summonses issued to him during the investigation into the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. The agency had contended that he intentionally avoided joining the probe and raised “frivolous objections” to justify his absence.

Before the High Court, counsel for the ED argued that the trial court committed a “grave error” in acquitting Kejriwal despite there being no dispute that the summonses were issued and received by him.

However, in its January 22 orders, the trial court held that the ED failed to establish intentional disobedience. It observed that the agency could not prove valid service of summons through email or demonstrate that such service complied with the requirements under Section 50(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The High Court is now seized of the ED’s challenge to this acquittal.

The proceedings are part of the wider litigation surrounding the Delhi excise policy case, in which the ED has alleged that certain accused persons were in contact with Kejriwal during the formulation of the policy, resulting in undue benefits and alleged kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party.

Kejriwal is currently on interim bail in the money laundering case. The Supreme Court of India has referred questions relating to the “need and necessity of arrest” under the PMLA to a larger bench for authoritative determination.

Separately, on February 27, a trial court discharged Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and several others in a related case investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), holding that the prosecution case could not withstand judicial scrutiny. The CBI’s plea against that discharge is also pending before the High Court.

In a related news, the High Court deferred hearing in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s challenge to the discharge of Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and other accused in the Delhi excise policy case, after noting that the complete trial court record had not yet been received. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who was to hear the matter, directed that the entire record be summoned positively by the next day and adjourned the case for hearing on May 4 at 2:30 PM.

“I have not received the entire record from the trial court. I will hear the matter on Monday, i.e. May 4,” the Court observed.

Bench: Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma

Hearing Date: April 29, 2026