Big Setback to CM Kejriwal: Court ordered summon for non-compliance

On feb 7,  the Rouse Avenue Court issued a non- compliance notice to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Delhi CM has been received four summons by ED to probe in Liquor scam case so far but the chief minister has not appeared a single time. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate(ACMM), Divya Malhotra, has ordered CM Arvind Kejriwal to appear before the court on Feb 17. 

The complaint against Delhi CM is filed under section 200 of the code of Criminal procedure, 1973 (Cr.P.C). “I shall decide whether there is sufficient material for taking cognizance of the offense under section 174 of the Indian Penal Court, 1860”, ruled Magistrate Divya Malhotra. Section 174 of IPC makes non-compliance to an order from a public servant or public institution a punishable offense.

The complaint against Delhi CM is filed under section 200 of the code of Criminal procedure, 1973 (Cr.P.C). “I shall decide whether there is sufficient material for taking cognizance of the offense under section 174 of the Indian Penal Court, 1860”, ruled Magistrate Divya Malhotra. Section 174 of IPC makes non-compliance to an order from a public servant or public institution a punishable offense.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his government has been accused of alleged irregularities in the funds of new liquor policy proposed by the AAP government in 2021-22. Since then CBI and ED are investigating the case and have arrested several ministers of the AAP government including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh. 

The politics in the capital had also intensified around the court’s order. Dr Munish Kumar Raizada, president of LokSena Hind Party - a newly formed Delhi-centric political party, has commented on the court’s orders and said that if he(Arvind Kejriwal) hasn’t done anything wrong, then why is he not appearing before ED? “If the Chief Minister has not done anything wrong, then why has he continuously refused ED’s summons. It shows that he(Arvind kejriwal) has something to hide and is scared of the Investigative Agencies”, said Dr Raizada. “There is credible evidence that irregularities did occur in the new liquor policy. The law should take its course”.  

Find the complete judgment given by Magistrate Divya Malhotra of Rouse Avenue Court here