ED summons Kejriwal; Police steps up security in central Delhi

NEW DELHI: A large number of personnel have been deployed in the central part of Delhi as part of the police's security arrangements to prevent AAP workers from gathering around the ED office as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to appear before the agency for questioning on Thursday.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) remained tight-lipped about whether the chief minister will appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or not.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The ED will record his statement once he deposes at the probe agency's Delhi office at 11 am.

In anticipation of protests by the AAP workers, multiple layers of barricades have been put up at the ED office on the Tughlaq Road. A large number of police and paramilitary personnel have also been deployed, an official said.

Police personnel have also been deployed on roads leading to the BJP office at DDU Marg in Central Delhi. Barricades have also been erected near the AAP office in the ITO area.

Central Delhi witnessed minor traffic jams near the ITO, Vikas Marg and India Gate because of the security arrangements.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate are probing the Delhi government's now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22 that allegedly favoured certain liquor dealers, an allegation that the AAP has strongly denied. Based on a report of the chief secretary of the Delhi government, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe in July last year into alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the policy.

The report cited various alleged irregularities including a waiver of Rs 144 crore to the retail licensees under the policy in the name of COVID-19-impacted sales and a refund of Rs 30 crore to a successful bidder for the airport zone who failed to obtain a no objection certificate for opening liquor stores there, officials said.

Another allegation was that the commission of wholesale licensees was raised from five per cent to 12 per cent in an instance of ''quid pro quo'', they added.