Delhi Court Acquits Arvind Kejriwal in ED Summons Cases Linked to Excise Policy Probe

Court Order Passed by Rouse Avenue Courts

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Paras Dalal of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the acquittal order, according to a report by Bar & Bench. A detailed copy of the judgment is yet to be released. Kejriwal was taken to court by the ED for not following the summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Amanatullah Khan Also Acquitted in Separate ED Case

In a separate but related development, the same court acquitted AAP’s Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan in an ED case. Khan was accused of skipping summons issued by the central probe agency in connection with the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering investigation.

What Were the ED’s Allegations Against Kejriwal?

The ED approached the court in February 2024, alleging that Kejriwal failed to comply with multiple summons issued under Section 50 of the PMLA. According to the agency, Kejriwal did not appear before it despite being summoned five times in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

Background of the Delhi Excise Policy Case

The ED’s money laundering probe originates from a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 17, 2022. The CBI case was based on allegations of irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy for 2021–22. It was registered following a complaint by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on July 20, 2022.

ED Case Registered After CBI FIR

Following the CBI’s action, the ED registered a money laundering case on August 22, 2022, to investigate the financial aspects of the alleged scam. Arvind Kejriwal was later arrested in the main excise policy case and subsequently granted bail by the Supreme Court.

While the court has acquitted Kejriwal and Amanatullah Khan in the summons-related cases, the broader excise policy investigation remains under scrutiny. Further clarity is expected once the detailed court order is made public.