BRS Leader K Kavitha Remanded to Judicial Custody Until April 23 in Delhi Excise Policy Case

According to a report from news agency ANI, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has extended the judicial custody of BRS Leader K Kavitha until April 23, 2024, in connection with the CBI case linked to the now-defunct Delhi excise policy. Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, was apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from Tihar Jail, where she had been detained following her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

Following the conclusion of her three-day police custody, Kavitha was presented before the court by the CBI on Monday.

The CBI alleges that Kavitha played a pivotal role in the liquor policy case and is suspected of withholding vital information crucial to the investigation. The investigative agency sought 14 days of judicial custody for further proceedings.

However, Kavitha’s legal representative argued that, as per the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Pankaj Bansal case, the accused has the right to respond at their discretion. “The accused is not compelled to provide answers tailored to meet specific requirements,” the counsel stated, as reported by LiveLaw.

Recently, with permission from the special court, officials from the central probe agency interrogated Kavitha within Tihar jail premises.

The interrogation focused on WhatsApp conversations retrieved from the phone of co-accused Buchi Babu, as well as documents related to a land transaction. Allegedly, Rs 100 crore was transferred to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as kickbacks to influence the Excise policy in favor of a liquor lobby in the national capital.

Kavitha, aged 46, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from her residence in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, on March 15.