Excise policy case: Delhi court extends BRS leader K. Kavitha's judicial custody in ED, CBI cases

New Delhi, May 7: A Delhi court on Tuesday extended Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha's judicial custody in connection with the money laundering cases being probed by the CBI and the ED related to the alleged excise policy scam.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court extended Kavitha’s custody till May 20 in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case and till May 14 in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) case.

She also extended co-accused Chanpreet Singh’s judicial custody in the case,

The ED had sought the extension of their custody.

On Monday, the same court denied regular bail to Kavitha in the case noting the gravity and seriousness of the offence, the nature of the allegations against her, and the offences invoked in the case. It noted that the investigation is in a very crucial stage on certain key aspects, including the involvement of public servants and private persons and ascertaining the flow of ill-gotten money (proceeds of crime).

It noted that prima facie, Kavitha, the daughter of BRS chief and former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, appears to be the key conspirator of the criminal conspiracy hatched for the purpose of collection and payment of upfront money to the Aam Aadmi Party through the co-accused for getting favourable provisions in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

"Her role in demanding upfront money and the alleged payment thereof for favourable provisions in the excise policy has also been highlighted in the course of the arguments," the court said.

The CBI had submitted that though Kavitha is not named in the FIR, her role in the case emerged during the investigation, from the statements of witnesses and approvers, WhatsApp chats, and documents recovered during the probe pertaining to a money transaction in the guise of a land deal.

"The said documents/materials are stated to reveal the role of the accused/applicant as one of the key conspirators in the case," the CBI had argued while opposing the bail plea. It also maintained that being a prominent politician and an influential person, Kavitha is likely to influence the witnesses and tamper with the evidence if released on bail, and may hamper the ongoing probe.

Kavitha was first arrested by the ED and later by the CBI on April 11 while she was in Tihar Jail.