Delhi court denies bail to BRS leader K Kavitha in excise policy case

DELHI'S Rouse Avenue Court on Monday rejected the bail plea of BRS leader K Kavitha in the cases registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy 2021-22.

Kavitha is currently under judicial custody in a money laundering case linked to an alleged excise policy scam. She was initially arrested by the ED from her residence in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, on March 15. Subsequently, on April 11, she was arrested by the CBI from Tihar jail.

The BRS leader's father and former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, has refuted all allegations against his daughter in the Delhi excise policy case. He alleged that the scam was specially created by the Centre to enforce BJP's grasp over Aam Aadmi Party and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

The former Telangana CM contended that her daughter K Kavitha is “innocent" saying that “such big leaders" should not be kept in jail for so long.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy.

The probe agencies accused the “prime suspects" of granting undue favours to licence holders, waiving or reducing the licence fee and extending the L-1 licence without the competent authority's approval.

ED made fresh arrest in Delhi excise policy case

Meanwhile, on May 3, the Enforcement Directorate made a fresh arrest in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case and arrested one person, official sources told newswire PTI. 

Identified as Vinod Chauhan, he is accused of transferring cash funds, sourced through alleged kickbacks given by the 'South Group', for AAP's election campaign for the Goa Assembly polls of 2022. This is the 18th arrest in the case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his party colleague and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, and several liquor businessmen and others have been arrested by the federal agency.