Delhi Excise Policy Case: K Kavitha Conspired With CM Kejriwal, Sisodia For Favours, Claims ED

The probe agency claimed that they paid Rs 100 crore to the ruling political party in Delhi.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, BRS Leader K Kavitha. ( Image Source :PTI )

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday alleged that BRS leader K Kavitha and several others conspired with top AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, to secure favours in the now-repealed Delhi excise policy, news agency PTI reported. The probe agency claimed that they paid Rs 100 crore to the ruling political party in Delhi. MLC Kavitha, aged 46, daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested by the federal agency last week from her Hyderabad residence. She remains in ED custody until March 23.

Investigation found, the ED claimed in an official statement, that Kavitha along with others "conspired with the top leaders of AAP including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia for getting favours in the Delhi excise policy-formulation and implementation." "In exchange of these favours, she was involved in paying Rs 100 crore to the leaders of AAP," the agency was quoted as saying by PTI in its report.

The Enforcement Directorate asserted that through "acts of corruption and conspiracy" in the formulation and execution of the Delhi excise policy 2021-22, a constant flow of illicit funds in the shape of kickbacks from wholesalers was generated for the AAP.

The agency alleged that "Kavitha and her associates were to recover the proceeds of crime paid in advance to AAP and to further generate profits/proceeds of crime from this entire conspiracy." 

Last week, the agency, during its bid for the remand of Kavitha, informed the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court that she was "one of the kingpins, a key conspirator and beneficiary of the Delhi excise policy scam".

Kavitha previously maintained her innocence, stating that she had not engaged in any wrongdoing and accused the Centre of manipulating the Enforcement Directorate (ED) due to the BJP's inability to gain traction in Telangana.

The Aam Aadmi Party countered by accusing the BJP of deploying the ED and CBI as "goons" to eliminate political adversaries.

The agency reported conducting searches at 245 locations nationwide since the case was filed in 2022. It has arrested 15 individuals, including former Delhi deputy CM and AAP leader Manish Sisodia, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, and several liquor businessmen. Six charge sheets have been filed in the case thus far, with assets worth over Rs 128 crore seized.