New Delhi: In a significant development, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been granted a reprieve by the court in the ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons case. The court has allowed Kejriwal to be exempt from regular court appearances, subject to a surety bond of INR 15,000 and a security bond of INR 1 lakh. The next session for this case is scheduled for April 1.
Kejriwal made a personal appearance at the Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday morning. His counsel, Ramesh Gupta, petitioned for Kejriwal’s release, allowing him to leave while the legal proceedings continued. The ED did not object to this request, leading to the ACMM of Rouse Avenue Court granting bail to Kejriwal under the aforementioned conditions. Additionally, the court has mandated that both parties submit all documents pertinent to the case.
Previously, the court had declined to suspend the summons issued to Kejriwal by the ED over allegations of money laundering connected to the Delhi Excise Policy case. The ED had lodged two separate applications in this matter, prompting the court to order the filing of distinct bail bonds for each application. Consequently, Kejriwal is required to furnish a personal bond totaling INR 30,000 and a security bond amounting to INR 2 lakh across both cases.
Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Sayal had earlier directed Kejriwal to seek an exemption from personal appearance from the Metropolitan Magistrate. This came after Kejriwal challenged the order by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra, which mandated his presence in the magistrate court on March 16.
The ED has filed two complaints with the magistrate court, seeking to prosecute Kejriwal for failing to comply with multiple summonses related to the case. The most recent complaint accuses the AAP national convenor of not adhering to summonses numbered 4-8, which were issued by the federal investigation agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
