Excise 'scam': HC denies Arvind Kejriwal protection from coercive action in ED case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to grant Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal any protection from coercive action in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain listed the AAP leader's application seeking protection for further consideration on April 22 when his main petition challenging the summons is fixed for hearing.

"We have heard both sides and we are not inclined at this stage (to grant protection). The respondent is at liberty to file reply," the bench said.

The application for interim relief forms part of Kejriwal's petition challenging the Enforcement Directorate's summonses issued to him for questioning.

Kejriwal has moved the court in the wake of the latest summons, the ninth issued by the ED, asking him to appear before it on Thursday.

During the hearing, the senior counsel for the AAP chief also sought deferment of the summons issued for today.

"It is already over. Time is over. He is not attending," Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, said.

Kejriwal has repeatedly refused to appear before the federal anti-money laundering agency, calling the summonses illegal.

The case pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering while formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped.

AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in the case.

Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in the charge sheets filed by the ED. The agency has alleged that the other accused were in touch with Kejriwal for formulating the excise policy that resulted in undue benefits to them in return for which they paid kickbacks to the AAP.