Today, On 31st October, The Supreme Court ruled that investigating agencies must not summon advocates representing the accused, stressing that “such summons could infringe fundamental rights of the accused” and violate statutory provisions protecting lawyer-client confidentiality under Section 132 and the new BNSS framework.
![[Delhi Excise case] Delhi Court takes Cognizance of ED chargesheet Filed against K Kavitha & Others](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/MicrosoftTeams-image-74.png?resize=447%2C367&ssl=1)
Today (On 29th May): Special Judge Kaveri Baweja acknowledged the chargesheet and issued a production warrant for K Kavitha, mandating her appearance in court on June 3, 2024. The court recognized charges against other accused individuals, including Chanpreet Singh, Damodar, Prince Singh, and Arvind Kumar, related to irregularities in the now-repealed Delhi excise policy, including financial losses to the exchequer. Kavitha’s bail pleas were rejected by the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi for cases linked to the Excise Policy matter. Kavitha was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 15, 2024, and by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 11, 2024. The authorities accuse officials of modifying the excise policy to extend undue favours, reduce or waive license fees, and extend L-1 licenses without proper authorization, resulting in a financial loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the state exchequer. The probe agencies claim that illegal gains were diverted to accused officials, with false entries made in financial records to evade detection.
Today (7th May): A Delhi court has extended AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s judicial custody in the Excise Policy Case until May 15. Sisodia filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the trial court’s denial of bail. The case, investigated by the Directorate of Enforcement and the CBI, involves alleged irregularities in the excise policy, leading to the arrests of other officials.
New Delhi: Today( 22nd April): The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi is yet to decide on the bail plea of K Kavitha, a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS), linked to a CBI case involving the Excise Policy. Allegations state that the ruling party aims to tarnish her and her father’s reputation for political gain in the upcoming 2024 general elections. Kavitha was arrested in connection with an alleged liquor policy scam and is facing allegations of irregularities in the modification of the excise policy. The investigating agencies aim to establish a broader conspiracy related to the formulation and execution of the Excise Policy, and they claim that the alleged actions resulted in a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer.
Today 1st April, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud stressed the need to balance investigation agency powers with individual privacy rights for fairness and justice. He urged agencies to focus on significant crime cases and enhance capabilities, including leveraging AI tools, to address evolving challenges like cybercrime and digital fraud. Adherence to due process and finding a middle ground between investigation needs and privacy rights were emphasized.