Former BJP MLA and Purvanchali leader Anil Jha joins AAP
Jha, a two-time BJP MLA from the Kirari Assembly constituency in North West Delhi, joined the party at an event in the national capital.
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday appeared before the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court in connection with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) complaint against him over non-compliance of its summons in the Delhi liquor policy case.
This was the first physical court appearance of Kejriwal in the ED summons case. Earlier on February 17, the Delhi CM had appeared virtually.
The Rouse Avenue Court later granted him bail, asking him to furnish a bond of Rs 15000 and a surety of the same ammount.
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“…Both bonds were furnished and Kejriwal was allowed to go. After that we moved an application for supply of copies under 207 and 91 CrPC for which reply and arguments – the date is fixed for April 1,” advocate Ramesh Gupta told ANI.
Earlier on February 3, the ED had moved the court and filed a complaint against Kejriwal over non-compliance to its summonses after he skipped the 5th notice. Taking cognisance of the ED’s complaint, the court had asked Kejriwal to appear on February 17.
The Delhi CM appeared via video conferencing and moved an application seeking exemption from personal appearance. The court had adjourned the matter until March 16, directing him to appear in person on the next hearing.
The ED has, so far, issued a total of eight summons to Kejriwal, three of them after the agency filed complaint in the Delhi court. He skipped them saying the matter is pending before the court.
In response to the eighth summons, Kejriwal agreed to appear before the probe agency virtually after March 12.
The central probe agency, which is facing Opposition’s allegations of working on the directions of the ruling BJP, wants to question the Delhi CM in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
The AAP, however, claims that the ED is planning to arrest the chief minister ahead of Lok Sabha polls on the directions of the Modi government.
Earlier on Friday, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha was arrested by the ED in connection with excise policy case. The probe agency arrested her for allegedly paying kickbacks to AAP leaders ahead of the formulations of the excise policy.
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