Delhi Court extends judicial custody of BRS leader K Kavitha till April 9 in excise policy case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) pressed for an extension of Kavitha's custody to facilitate joint questioning with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kavitha, aged 46, was apprehended by the central probe agency on March 15.

Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Tuesday (March 26) prolonged the Enforcement Directorate's custody of Bharat Rashtriya Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, a key figure in the Delhi excise policy case, until April 9. Kavitha appeared before the court as her custody remand came to a close. Scheduled for April 1, the court will deliberate on Kavitha's interim bail plea.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) pressed for an extension of Kavitha's custody to facilitate joint questioning with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kavitha, aged 46, was detained by the central probe agency on March 15.

Kavitha's legal representatives petitioned for her interim bail, citing her minor child's impending examinations.

During the remand duration, the ED said that they recorded Kavitha's statement, conducted extensive interrogations, and confronted her with various individuals and digital evidence.

Previously, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja permitted the ED to conduct interrogations during Kavitha's custody.

The ED has implicated Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, as a significant member of the 'South Group' allegedly involved in channeling kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in exchange for a substantial portion of liquor licenses in Delhi.

Refuting the allegations, Kavitha said, "This is not a money laundering case but a political laundering case. It is a fabricated and false case. We will come out clean," upon entering the courtroom.

On March 23, ED conducted raids at the residences of Kavitha's nephew Meka Sri Sharan Rao and sister-in-law Akila. Speculations suggest that ED might apprehend additional family members.

Earlier directives from the court stipulated that Kavitha's ED custody must comply with stringent conditions, including interrogation at a location equipped with CCTV surveillance and preserving the footage.