The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond to a plea by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal challenging a sessions court order upholding the summons issued to him in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

The ED’s counsel raised a preliminary objection over the maintainability of the petition and argued that it was not permissible.

The court asked the prosecution counsel to file a response listing all the objections and scheduled the matter for hearing on September 10.

Mr. Kejriwal has challenged in the High Court a special court order dated September 17, 2024 through which his revision petition against a March 7, 2024 order of a magisterial court summoning him was dismissed.

He has also challenged a sessions court order dated December 20, 2024, which upheld an October 24, 2024 order of a magisterial court refusing to transfer his case to another court.

On June 20, 2024, the AAP chief was granted bail by a trial court in the money laundering case. But it was later stayed by the High Court on a plea by the ED.

The ED’s money laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after Delhi Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena recommended a probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the 2021-22 Delhi excise policy.

According to the ED and the CBI, irregularities were allegedly committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to the licence holders.