New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday skipped the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the third time in reference to the Delhi excise coverage case, saying he was busy with the Rajya Sabha elections and the Republic Day preparations. In a letter to the probe company, the Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP) chief additionally requested the ED to make clear the character and scope of the inquiry or investigation for which he was being known as and to answer his earlier letters the place he had raised authorized objections to the summons.
Kejriwal accused the ED of sustaining unwarranted secrecy and being opaque and arbitrary within the current matter. He mentioned he was able to reply any questionnaire from the company if it seeks any data or paperwork from him.
The ED had summoned Kejriwal as a witness within the cash laundering case associated to the Delhi excise coverage, which allegedly induced a lack of Rs 1,000 crore to the state exchequer. The company had earlier summoned him on November 2 and December 21, however he had refused to seem, calling the notices “unlawful” and “politically motivated”.
Kejriwal’s deputy Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in the identical case. The AAP on Wednesday questioned the timing of the ED summons and alleged that the company had not answered in what capability Kejriwal was being summoned – as a witness or an accused. The get together claimed that the complete excise coverage case was politically motivated and an try and cease Kejriwal from campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Kejriwal mentioned in his letter that he was held up within the course of and run as much as the Rajya Sabha elections, the place three seats from Delhi are up for grabs. He mentioned he was additionally fairly occupied in planning and preparations for a number of programmes and features for the Republic Day on January 26.
Kejriwal mentioned he had not obtained any response from the ED to his complete submissions, the place he had delivered to the company’s discover the crucial dimensions and authorized objections concerned in issuing summons to him to seem in individual.
He mentioned he knew about a number of instances the place the ED had given an in depth clarification or response to any of the queries or apprehensions raised by an individual who might have been issued summons beneath the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). “However in my case, you may have refused to even acknowledge the receipt of the detailed submissions made in response to the summons issued to me,” he mentioned.
He reiterated his agency dedication to the rule of legislation and his unflinching enterprise to render any co-operation or help in any inquiry or investigations that could be as per legislation, honest, simply and expedient.
“Nevertheless, as acknowledged above, your silence confirms my apprehensions about sure vested pursuits and extraneous in addition to malafide issues prevailing over any goal, rational, honest or neutral inquiry or investigations,” his letter learn.
He alleged that the information of the summons reached the media earlier than him, resulting from which he needed to face media trial. He mentioned the ED’s non-disclosure and non-response strategy couldn’t maintain the check of legislation, fairness or justice.
“Your obstinacy tantamounts to assuming the function of decide, jury and executioner on the similar time which isn’t acceptable in our nation ruled by the rule of legislation,” he mentioned.
After he was issued the second summons in December, the chief minister had left on his pre-announced programme of a 10-day ‘Vipassana’ meditation course and returned on December 30.