In a significant development in the Delhi excise policy case, Rouse Avenue Court sent BRS leader K Kavitha to judicial custody on Monday, April 23. Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, was presented before the court by the CBI following the expiration of her three-day police custody.
During the hearing, the CBI informed the court that further custodial interrogation of the BRS leader was unnecessary. Kavitha was initially arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 15 and transferred to CBI custody until March 23. On April 11, the CBI arrested her again and placed her in Tihar Jail. Earlier, a Delhi court had reserved its decision on her interim bail plea, which she had filed citing her son’s upcoming exam, for April 9.
Before her arrest, Kavitha was summoned multiple times for interrogation but had skipped at least two of these summons. Last year, she was questioned three times, with her statements recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
During her recent custody, CBI officials interrogated Kavitha about WhatsApp chats recovered from co-accused Buchi Babu’s phone and documents related to a land deal. The probe revealed that ₹100 crores was allegedly paid to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as kickbacks to influence the excise policy in favour of a liquor lobby.
Kavitha is the third high-profile politician arrested in this case, following AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh. On March 21, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also became the first sitting chief minister to be arrested in connection with this case.
Allegations Against Kavitha
The Enforcement Directorate has accused Kavitha of being part of the so-called ‘South Group,’ which allegedly paid ₹100 crore in kickbacks to AAP leaders in exchange for nine retail zones under the now-defunct policy. Other individuals named in the ‘South Group’ include Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSCRCP) MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta, Aurobindo Group promoter Sarath Reddy, and Delhi-based businessman Sameer Mahendru.