The Delhi High Court has issued a fresh notice to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Kejriwal’s side did not appear before the court during Wednesday’s hearing.
The bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma directed that a new notice be issued and scheduled the next hearing in the matter for April 29.
The ED has approached the High Court challenging a lower court order that had discharged Kejriwal from allegations of allegedly violating summons issued by the agency. Referring to Kejriwal’s absence despite earlier notice, the court observed that the respondent had chosen not to appear and ordered issuance of a fresh notice. The court also sought the Trial Court Record (TCR) for further proceedings.
Senior advocate Zoheb Hossain, representing the ED, argued that the trial court erred in discharging Kejriwal, particularly when it was undisputed that he had received the summons but failed to respond. He submitted that legal precedents state that undisputed documents do not require further proof. Advocate Vivek Gurnani also appeared alongside him.
Earlier, on February 27, a lower court had discharged Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and 21 others in connection with the excise policy case, stating that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had failed to establish the case during judicial scrutiny and termed the allegations baseless. The CBI’s appeal against that order is currently pending before the High Court.
The matter will now be heard again later this month as legal proceedings continue.
