The Rouse Avenue Court, On Tuesday, extended the detention of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha until April 9 in relation to the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. Additionally, the court scheduled April 1 to consider Kavitha’s request for interim bail. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a plea with the Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday, seeking instructions to detain Kavitha in judicial custody. According to the agency, during her previous detention period, they documented her statement, conducted interrogations, and confronted her with various individuals and digital evidence.
The ED argued that Kavitha, being highly influential, posed a risk of influencing witnesses and tampering with evidence if released, potentially hindering the ongoing investigation. They emphasized the complexity of investigating economic crimes, especially due to the resourcefulness and influence of economic offenders. The ED asserted that remanding Kavitha to judicial custody was crucial for further investigation into the proceeds of the crime and identifying other individuals involved or connected to the illegal activities.
Kavitha, a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) from Telangana and the daughter of former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested in Hyderabad on March 15 and subsequently remanded to ED custody. The Supreme Court had previously declined Kavitha’s bail plea in the Delhi excise policy case, directing her to seek bail from the trial court promptly.
The ED alleged that Kavitha conspired with top leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to gain favors in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise policy, involving a payment of Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders. This case stemmed from a report by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022, highlighting procedural irregularities in the policy formulation.
The ED further alleged that the policy was manipulated to benefit AAP leaders through kickbacks, with Kavitha purportedly part of the group involved in this scheme. Meanwhile, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was also remanded to ED custody for seven days in connection with the same case, following his arrest by the probe agency.
