New Delhi, Apr 15 (UNI) A Delhi Court on Monday sent Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha to Judicial custody till April 23 in a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Excise policy case.
Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, was produced by the CBI before the Special Judge Kaveri Baweja in Rouse Avenue Court on the expiry of her three-day custody.
She was arrested by the CBI in Tihar Jail on Thursday last, where she was in judicial custody following her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
Advocate Nitesh Rana appeared for Kavitha and argued that the agency could not force her to reply to their questions. Kavitha has the right to stay silent and not reply to the questions asked by the investigating agencies.
Kavitha was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 15.
The ED alleged that Kavitha allegedly convinced one Sarath Reddy to join her in the liquor business in Delhi under the new excise policy.
She allegedly asked Sarath Reddy to pay Rs 25 crore at the rate of Rs. 5 crore per zone in November-December 2021 and promised to allot 5 retail zones to him.
The BRS MLC also claimed that she had paid Rs 100 crore as upfront money to the Aam Aadmi Party through one Vijay Nair to get favourable provisions in the Excise Policy.
The CBI alleged that Kavitha was required to be examined in connection with the evidence that surfaced during the investigation of her involvement in the criminal conspiracy regarding the formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy.
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, gave them kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crore, and got undue favours in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy.
Kavitha was denied interim bail recently in the money laundering case. Her regular bail application is to come up before the trial court on April 16.
