Liquor Policy: Delhi High Court Issues Notice On BRS Leader K Kavitha's Plea Seeking Release In CBI Case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice on a plea filed by BRS leader K Kavitha seeking her release and challenging the entire proceedings leading to her arrest in the corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) related to the alleged liquor policy scam.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma also issued notice on Kavitha's plea seeking bail in the CBI case.

Kavitha is presently under judicial custody in both CBI and ED cases. The court recently issued notice in her plea seeking bail in the money laundering case after her regular bail pleas were dismissed by the trial court.

Justice Sharma sought response of the CBI in both the petitions and listed the matter for hearing on May 24.

Apart from entire proceedings leading to her arrest, Kavitha has also challenged the trial court order allowing the CBI to interrogate her while she was in judicial custody. It was her case that the order was passed without issuing any notice to her or putting her to show cause.

Kavitha has also challenged the trial court order granting permission to the CBI to arrest her as well as the orders remanding her to police and judicial custody.

Kavitha was denied bail by the trial court in the money laundering as well as the corruption case registered by the CBI on May 06. She is presently in judicial custody in both FIRs.

Kavitha was arrested on the evening of March 15 by the ED. She was in judicial custody when the CBI arrested her. This was after CBI got permission from court to interrogate Kavitha in jail.

AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are also accused in the ED case. While Sisodia continues to remain in jail, Singh was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court pursuant to a concession given by the ED.

It is ED's case that the excise policy was implemented as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business profit of 12 percent to certain private companies, although such a stipulation was not mentioned in the minutes of meetings of Group of Ministers (GoM).

The agency alleged that Kavitha along with other members of the South Group namely Sarath Reddy, Raghav Magunta and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, conspired with top Aam Aadmi Party leaders and gave them kickbacks to the tune of Rs. 100 Crore and in exchange, got undue favours in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy.

ED had also alleged that Kavitha orchestrated a deal with the Delhi Chief Minister and then Deputy Chief Minister, wherein she along with other members of the South Group paid them kickbacks through a string of intermediaries and middlemen.

On the other hand, CBI alleged that Sarath Reddy participated in the liquor business in Delhi under the excise policy on Kavitha's assurance that she has contacts in the Delhi Government and she would help him in the business.

It further alleged that in November-December 2021, Kavitha asked Sarath Chandra Reddy to pay Rs. 25 crores at the rate of Rs. 5 crores per zone for the 05 retail zones allotted to him, as she had claimed that she herself had paid Rs.100 crores as upfront money to Aam Aadmi Party through Vijay Nair for getting favourable provisions in Excise Policy.

CBI also alleged that Kavitha was required to be examined in connection with the evidence surfaced during the further investigation of the case in respect of her involvement in the criminal conspiracy regarding formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy.