Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha was arrested in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy. Following a day-long questioning and a raid at her Hyderabad residence, she was brought to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Delhi. Kavitha, who is the daughter of BRS founder and former Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, will be presented before a special court in Delhi on Saturday, likely in the afternoon.
The ED investigation officer issued an arrest order stating that Kavitha has been found guilty of an offence punishable under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. She was arrested at 05:20 pm on 15.03.2024, and the grounds for her arrest were explained to her with a copy of the grounds of arrest served upon her.
This action by the ED comes after almost two months of issuing summons to Kavitha. She had been questioned thrice last year in connection with this case, with her statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Kavitha has denied any wrongdoing and accused the BJP at the Centre of using the ED as it could not gain direct entry into Telangana. The CBI had also previously questioned her regarding the money laundering case, and the ED’s case was filed based on the CBI’s FIR.
According to the ED, Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, a key figure in the case, was arrested last year. The investigation revealed a scam involving significant kickbacks and the formation of a major cartel in the South Group.
This group includes Kavitha, Sarath Reddy (Aurobindo Group promoter), Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (MP, Ongole), his son Raghav Magunta, and others, with Pillai, Abhishek Boinpalli, and Butchi Babu representing the South Group during the probe.
