ED vs Kejriwal: Ready to video-conference after 12 March

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in his reply to the latest Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons related to the excise policy case has expressed readiness to appear before the agency through video-conferencing after 12 March, government sources said on Monday, 4 March.

Kejriwal has so far skipped the ED's summons on multiple occasions, calling them illegal and asking the agency to wait as the matter was in court.

On 21 February, the ED had issued its seventh summons for Kejriwal to appear before the financial probe agency. Before that, in response to the sixth summons on 19 February in connection with the alleged excise policy scam, the Aam Aadmi Party had already noted that the AAP chief would wait for the court's hearing on 16 March.

The ED had before that, on 31 January, issued a summons to Kejriwal and asked him to appear before it on 2 February. That was their fifth summons issued to the AAP convener.

The financial probe agency's complaint alleged that Kejriwal was giving “lame excuses”.

"If a high-ranking public functionary like him disobeyed the law, it would set a wrong example for the common man, i.e., the aam aadmi,” the agency said.

The chief minister reiterated that the summons is "illegal" but still he was ready to answer the questions by the probe agency, sources said.

Meanwhile, the city court expects his personal appearance on 16 March over the ED's complaint over Kejriwal repeatedly skipping its summons.