ED Names K Kavitha As Accused In Fresh Chargesheet In Delhi Excise Policy Case

BRS leader and daughter of former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, Kavitha, was arrested from her residence in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad on March 15 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

BRS leader K Kavitha leaves the Rouse Avenue Court after being produced by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi liquor policy case, in New Delhi on Monday, April 15, 2024.

Source : PTI

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Friday submitted a fresh charge sheet in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, naming BRS leader K Kavitha as an accused, news agency PTI reported.

Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested from her residence in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad on March 15 by the central agency.

Quoting sources, the PTI report said the prosecution complaint has been filed under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The special judge for CBI and ED cases, Kaveri Baweja, is likely to take up the chargesheet for cognisance on May 13.

Additionally, a similar complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to be lodged next week, the report said.

7th ED Chargesheet In Delhi Excise Policy Case

This marks the seventh chargesheet filed by the ED in this case. It has arrested 18 individuals, including Kejriwal, who was granted an interim bail by the Supreme Court on Friday.

The ED has claimed that Kavitha played a significant role in the 'South Group’ accused of providing alleged kickbacks worth Rs 100 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in exchange for a substantial share of liquor licences in Delhi.

The agency had said earlier that Kavitha was "one of the kingpins, a key conspirator and beneficiary of the Delhi excise policy scam".

"K Kavitha orchestrated a deal with Arvind Kejriwal, then deputy chief minister and minister of excise Manish Sisodia, wherein she along with other members of the South Group paid them kickbacks through a string of intermediaries and middlemen,” ED had said earlier.

"In exchange for the kickbacks paid to the leaders of AAP she had access to the policy formulation and was offered provisions to ensure a favourable position to her.”

 

The ED has also accused Kavitha of being involved in various activities related to proceeds of crime amounting to at least Rs 292.8 crore.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court has sought the response of ED to a bail plea filed by Kavitha. She was also arrested by the CBI while under judicial custody in the ED case.

While denying her relief, the trial court had outlined that the role of Kavitha "prima facie appears as that of key conspirator of the criminal conspiracy hatched for collection and payment of upfront money to AAP through co-accused for getting favourable provisions in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22".

"Her role in demanding the upfront money and the alleged payment thereof for favourable provisions in the Excise Policy have also been highlighted in the course of arguments and as discussed in the preceding paragraphs," the trial court had noted.

The ED had alleged that Rs 45 crore out of the Rs 100 crore provided as bribes by the 'South Group' were used by the AAP for the Goa assembly election campaign in 2022. The 'South Group' liquor lobby reportedly includes Kavitha, TDP's Lok Sabha candidate from Ongole, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Reddy, and others.