BRS leader K Kavitha, was produced before a Delhi court on Saturday in connection with the controversial Delhi liquor policy case. During her court appearance, Kavitha vehemently declared her arrest as “illegal.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, daughter of the party chief and former Telangana Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao, was produced before a Delhi court on Saturday. The appearance followed her recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the controversial Delhi liquor policy case. The court has granted the ED’s request to hold Kavitha in custody for questioning until March 23.
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During her court appearance, Kavitha vehemently declared her arrest as “illegal,” stating,
“It’s an illegal arrest, will fight it out.”
This statement came as she faced the legal proceedings at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court. The 46-year-old Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) was arrested in Hyderabad and was subsequently brought to Delhi under tight security.
The arrest has sparked a legal battle, with Kavitha’s defense team challenging the ED’s action. They argued that the arrest was “illegal” as it contradicted a pending Supreme Court petition for no coercive action against her, scheduled for hearing on March 19. Despite these claims, the ED maintained that they had not committed to refraining from coercive action in any court, including the Supreme Court.
The ED’s plea for Kavitha’s custody was met with allegations from her lawyer, who accused the agency of flouting Supreme Court directions. However, the ED countered these accusations by asserting that there was substantial evidence and witness statements implicating Kavitha in the excise policy money laundering case. Furthermore, the agency accused her of destroying evidence related to the case.
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The backdrop of this legal drama is the ED’s investigation into the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. Kavitha has been linked to the “South Group,” a lobby of liquor traders alleged to have played a significant role in the policy’s formulation and execution. The ED claims that kickbacks amounting to at least Rs 100 crore were received by Vijay Nair on behalf of AAP leaders from this group, which purportedly includes Sarath Reddy, Kavitha, and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy.
In previous questioning sessions, Kavitha was confronted with evidence and testimonies, including interactions with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandran Pillai, who has already been arrested in connection with the case. Despite the mounting allegations, Kavitha has maintained her innocence, asserting that she has done “nothing wrong” and accusing the central government of leveraging the Enforcement Directorate against her as a political tool, especially in the context of Telangana’s political landscape.
As the case unfolds, the political and legal communities closely watch the developments, given the high-profile nature of the accused and the implications of the case on political dynamics and governance.