Excise case: Kejriwal asked to reply to plea against discharge

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s response to an Enforcement Directorate (ED) plea challenging his acquittal in two separate cases linked to the excise policy case.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener on two petitions filed by the ED against a trial court’s January 22 orders acquitting him, and posted the matter for hearing on April 29. In its complaint before the trial court, the ED had alleged that Mr. Kejriwal, who was then Chief Minister, deliberately disobeyed multiple summonses and failed to join the investigation. The agency also claimed that he raised “frivolous objections” and intentionally created grounds to avoid appearing before investigators. In its ruling, the trial court had held that the ED failed to establish that Mr. Kejriwal had intentionally disobeyed the summonses issued to him.