Today (on 16th May), The Delhi High Court has requested a detailed response from the CBI regarding the bail plea of BRS leader K Kavitha in the Delhi excise policy case. Additionally, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma seeks CBI’s input on Kavitha’s challenge to her arrest and subsequent detention.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today (on 16th May), called for a detailed response from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding the bail plea filed by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, a key figure embroiled in the controversial Delhi excise policy case. Presiding Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma has also asked for CBI’s input on Kavitha’s additional petition that contests her arrest and the ensuing trial court’s decision that led to her being placed in the agency’s custody.
Kavitha has filed two separate pleas in this matter. One is an appeal against the trial court’s order denying her bail, while the other is a writ petition challenging her arrest and the remand order. In her writ petition, she has also sought the quashing of the trial court’s order, which granted permission to the CBI to interrogate her while she was in judicial custody after her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case related to the same scam.
According to Kavitha’s plea, the orders issued by the trial court were in violation of criminal law provisions and constituted an “anathema” to the constitutional rights afforded to individuals.
ALSO READ: [BREAKING] K Kavitha Bail Plea | Delhi HC Seeks ED Response
“The examination of the remand application dated 12.04.2024 reveals that the evidence cited by the CBI was not promptly gathered and was unlawfully obtained in collusion with the ED some time ago. Hence, there was no immediate justification for the accused’s arrest, aside from preventing her from participating in the ongoing General Elections.”
-Kavitha’s legal team argued before the Court.
The hearing for both of Kavitha’s petitions is scheduled for May 24, where they will be considered concurrently with her bail request in the ED case. Kavitha’s legal entanglements began with her arrest by the CBI on April 11, which followed an earlier arrest by the ED on March 15 in Hyderabad. She was implicated in a money laundering case related to the alleged manipulation of the Delhi excise policy during 2021-22, which purportedly aimed to monopolize and cartelise the wholesale and retail liquor markets in Delhi.
The excise policy scandal, as detailed by the CBI and ED, suggests that certain entities from South India received disproportionate benefits, with a portion of their profits purportedly funneled to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to finance its campaign for the Goa assembly elections. The case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The hearing scheduled for May 24 holds significant importance for Kavitha.
ALSO READ: K Kavitha BRS Leader Withdraws Petition Challenging ED Summons
The legal team representing Kavitha includes Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari, alongside advocates Nitesh Rana, Deepak Nagar, and Mohith Rao, who are preparing for a comprehensive argument in her defense. Meanwhile, the ED continues its separate probe into the money laundering allegations surrounding the case.
