New Delhi, March 7: Senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi hit out at the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday after it complained to the court for the second time over evading of summonses by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with a matter linked to the alleged Delhi excise police scam.

"If you have gone to court yourself then wait for its order. The ED seems to believe that it cannot wait for the court order and it is above the court," she told reporters here.

A city court earlier in the day issued summons to Kejriwal on a fresh complaint by the ED over the AAP convener evading its summonses, saying there were "sufficient grounds" for proceeding against him. The Delhi chief minister has so far skipped eight summonses of ED for questioning in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam, calling them "illegal". Delhi Court Issues Fresh Summons to Arvind Kejriwal, Directs Him to Appear Physically on March 16.

The court has summoned Kejriwal before itself on March 16. Last month, Kejriwal's counsel had told the court that the Delhi chief minister would appear before it in person on the next date of hearing - March 16 - after the Enforcement Directorate filed a complaint alleging that he intentionally did not want to obey the agency's summonses and kept on giving "lame excuses".

The latest complaint pertains to Kejriwal not honouring the last five summonses sent by the federal probe agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Delhi Minister Atishi Slams ED For Fresh Case Against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Says ‘If You Have Gone To Court Then Wait For Its Order’.

Atishi said that the ED has failed to reply to the questions raised by Kejriwal on the summonses issued to him by the agency and went to the court. She asked the ED "to respect the court and wait for its order". The court on Thursday observed that under various sections of the PMLA, the person summoned is bound to comply, and the law enables prosecution of those who don't.

Delhi Minister Atishi Slams ED:

Former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh are in jail in connection with the case. AAP leaders including Kejriwal have been charging that the BJP-led central government wanted to "finish" AAP by sending him to jail before the Lok Sabha election and toppling his government in Delhi.