The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches on Tuesday at the residences of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal secretary, Bibhav Kumar, and individuals associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Approximately 10 premises in the national capital were reportedly included in these raids. The search operations are part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities and a money laundering case.
Last week, the Enforcement Directorate filed a petition in a special court seeking compliance with repeated summonses issued to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, urging him to appear before the agency’s investigating officers regarding the alleged Delhi liquor scam. This scam purportedly involves the AAP government’s excise policy being manipulated to benefit a group of liquor traders. Following a brief hearing on the ED’s complaint, the judge scheduled the matter for further consideration on February 7.
Kejriwal has chosen not to attend five summonses, asserting their illegitimacy on the basis that he is not a defendant in the case. The plea against the Delhi CM in court marks a shift in strategy by the ED, which recently arrested Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren after he refused to address corruption allegations. ED officials argue that Kejriwal’s non-compliance with summonses could be interpreted as evasive behavior and lack of cooperation with the investigation, potentially justifying his arrest and the agency’s pursuit of custodial interrogation through legal channels.
