Breaking: Delhi Court Remands BRS Leader K Kavitha To CBI Custody Till April 15 In Liquor Policy Case

A Delhi Court on Friday remanded BRS leader K Kavitha to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody till April 15 in the alleged liquor policy scam.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja of Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order after Kavitha was produced in court following her arrest by the probe agency yesterday.

As per CBI, Kavitha is one of the key conspirators in the liquor policy case and is concealing facts which are exclusively in her knowledge. The agency thus sought 5 days custody.

"Kavitha examined earlier in this case but in light of evidence unearthed in the investigation...Role of statements revealed that she is one of the key conspirators in the excise policy. She didn't join investigation citing unjustified ground and hence she could not be examined...During her interrogation, she didn't give satisfactory replies regarding her role...She needs to be confronted with evidence to unearth the larger conspiracy concerning the liquor policy," CBI counsel said.

Kavitha was arrested on the evening of March 15 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case related to the excise policy case.

She was in judicial custody when the CBI arrested her. This was after CBI recently got permission from court to interrogate Kavitha in jail.

In the remand application, 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 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.

Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhary appearing for the BRS leader argued that the arrest is illegal and unconstitutional.

He contended that the evidences on the basis of which CBI sought her custody were from atleast an year back, thereby questioning the timing of the arrest.

On CBI's allegation that Kavitha gave unsatisfactory and evasive replies during interrogation, Chaudhary said:

”Despite evidences, they were not willing to arrest. They only wanted to interrogate me and examine me without arrest. These evidences are much older in time. They do not have a proximate link or causal connection with necessity to arrest….Today when the exercise the power to arrest, your lordships will look at the necessity to arrest. You didn't choose to arrest me earlier.”

He further said that there was no case made out for arresting Kavitha and that Section 41 of CrPC has been misused and abused by CBI.

”Timing is most crucial….They attempt to keep me in custody. I'm a sitting member, mass popular leader of a national political party. In a few days time, Telangana is to witness elections. The timing is crucial,” he said.

Chaudhary added that due process was not followed by CBI in arresting Kavitha which vitiates the entire process.

”This is the gross misuse of process of law. All these evidences are not worth any evidentiary value,” he said.

The judge recently denied interim bail to Kavitha in the money laundering case. Her regular bail plea is fixed for hearing on April 20.

ED has 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.