Delhi High Court seeks ED's reply on BRS leader K. Kavitha’s bail plea

Delhi High Court on Friday, 10 May, issued a notice to the ED on bail plea of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha, an accused in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.

Kavitha moved the high court after a special court in New Delhi on 6 May turned down her regular bail pleas in cases being probed by both -- the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Special judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court had cited the gravity and seriousness of the offence, the nature of the allegations against her, and the offences invoked in the case to turn down her pleas.

Currently, Kavitha, the daughter of BRS chief and former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, is in judicial custody till 20 May in ED’s case and till 14 May in CBI’s.

The high court on Friday sought ED’s response on her bail plea and listed the matter for the next hearing on 24 May.

The special court had noted that the investigation is in a very crucial stage on certain key aspects, including the involvement of public servants and private persons and to ascertain the flow of ill-gotten money (proceeds of crime).

The judge had noted that prima facie, Kavitha appears to be the key conspirator of the criminal conspiracy hatched for the purpose of collection and payment of upfront money to the Aam Aadmi Party through the co-accused for getting favourable provisions in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

“Her role in demanding upfront money and the alleged payment thereof for favourable provisions in the excise policy has also been highlighted in the course of the arguments,” the court noted.

Kavitha had cited hypertension as a reason for bail, stressing the need for medical care after her arrest by the ED.

On this, the judge noted that the documents relied upon were found to be old medical records, i.e., from the year 2013 onwards, and her complaints have apparently been addressed.

Kavitha was first arrested by the ED and later by the CBI on 11 April when she was in Tihar Jail.