Time for courts to wake up to blatant misuse of PMLA: Kapil Sibal

New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) Veteran leader and noted lawyer Kapil Sibal on Wednesday slammed the Centre after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in alleged liquor scam case and urged the courts to wake up to the blatant misuse of PMLA.

In a post on X, Sibal said, "Kejriwal summoned by ED. ED targeting leaders of almost all political parties in opposition."

He said that ED and denial of bail to leaders has become a "political weapon" in the hands of the government.

"Time for courts to wake up to the blatant misuse of PMLA," he said. 

His remarks came days after the ED summoned Kejriwal, who is also the national convenor of Aam Aadmi Party for the first time in the alleged excise policy case on November 2 for questioning. 

Even the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the bail petition of AAP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the same case. The ED in October had arrested AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in connection with the case. 

The ED had earlier this week also questioned Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot in a FEMA case. 

The agency also carried out searches last week in Rajasthan at multiple locations, including the premises linked to state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara in an alleged paper leak case.