Delhi's Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, made a virtual appearance before the Rouse Avenue court in the capital city on Saturday regarding the ongoing excise policy case. The court had issued repeated summons following a complaint by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Kejriwal was granted exemption from physically attending the court session due to his involvement in discussions regarding a Confidence Motion scheduled in the Delhi Assembly on February 17. This motion had been tabled on February 16. His legal representatives assured the court that he would appear in person on the next scheduled date, which is March 16.

The court had summoned Kejriwal for February 17 after the ED complained about his failure to attend earlier summons. The sixth summon is set for February 19.

The ED's complaint alleged that Kejriwal had deliberately avoided complying with the summons, offering what they termed as "lame excuses." They emphasized that such behavior from a high-ranking public figure could set a detrimental example for the general public.

Kejriwal had argued that the summonses were unlawful and accused the agency of aiming solely to arrest him.

With three AAP leaders already in jail over the excise policy issue, the party had been anticipating Kejriwal's possible arrest and had discussed potential courses of action in case the Chief Minister faced imprisonment.

The new excise policy, introduced by the AAP government, aimed to revamp Delhi's alcohol industry by shifting from a volume-based sales system to one based on traders' license fees. Additionally, it introduced discounts and promotions on liquor purchases, a novel practice for the city.

Central agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED have alleged gross irregularities in the excise policy and accused AAP leaders of receiving monetary kickbacks in connection with its introduction.

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