Liquor Policy: Delhi Court Allows CBI To Interrogate BRS Leader K Kavitha In Judicial Custody

A Delhi Court on Friday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to interrogate BRS leader K Kavitha in judicial custody in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam.

Kavitha is presently in judicial custody in Tihar jail after her arrest by Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja of Rouse Avenue Courts allowed CBI's application seeking permission to interrogate or record statement of Kavitha in judicial custody.

Kavitha was remanded to judicial custody till April 09 on March 26. She was arrested on the evening of March 15 by the ED hours after the agency and the Income Tax department conducted searches at her Hyderabad residence.

The judge yesterday reserved order on Kavitha's interim bail in money laundering case. The order will be pronounced on Monday.

As per the arrest memo, Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and a Telangana Legislative Council member, was arrested by the central probe agency at 5:20 pm from her residence at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad.

On March 19, Kavitha withdrew from the Supreme Court her plea challenging the ED summons. Thereafter, the Apex Court issued notice on her plea challenging her arrest and asked the BRS leader to approach the trial court for bail.

In the earlier remand application, ED alleged that Kavitha is “one of the kingpins, a key conspirator and beneficiary” of the excise policy scam.

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.

In this case, the anti-money laundering agency has issued summons to K Kavitha as a part of its wider probe into the alleged financial irregularities surrounding the now-scrapped liquor policy and the role of a purported 'south liquor lobby'.

In March 2023, the ED summoned her to appear in person in Delhi for questioning. In the same month, the central agency's summons were challenged by the BRS leader.