Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday confirmed that he will be visiting Goa on the day he has been scheduled by the Goa police authorities. Addressing a question asked by the media on the summons, Kejriwal said, "I will definitely go."
Goa Police summoned Kejriwal to appear on April 27 in connection with a case of illegally pasting posters on public properties during the campaign for the 2022 assembly elections.
The police issued a notice to Kejriwal under Section 41 (A) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The notice states that there are reasonable grounds to interrogate Kejriwal to know the facts and circumstances in relation to the present investigation.
Case details
The Pernem police station is investigating a case registered under the Goa Prevention of Defacement of Property Act. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been accused of pasting election posters on the walls of public places during the assembly election campaign in Goa. Notably, AAP had won two seats in the 2022 elections in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state. The party had contested all the seats in Goa by announcing the name of the CM candidate.
The notice issued to Kejriwal states that during the investigation of a case of misappropriation of property, the police found reasonable grounds to interrogate him. The Delhi CM has been asked to appear at the Pernem police station on April 27 at 11 am.
Police procedure in the case
Under Section 41(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the police can summon a person for questioning if there is a "reasonable" complaint or suspicion that he has committed an offence. If the summoned person fails to appear before the police, the police can arrest him.
The police have been investigating the case for the past few months. According to a senior police official, the AAP had pasted posters on public properties without obtaining prior permission, which is a violation of the Goa Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.
The Goa Police's notice to Arvind Kejriwal has come as a surprise to many, as the Delhi CM has been busy with the COVID-19 pandemic in the national capital. It remains to be seen whether Kejriwal will appear before the police on April 27 or seek a rescheduling of the date.
