Delhi excise policy case: The Enforcement Directorate today (March 16) produced arrested Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha before Rouse Avenue Court in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. The agency produced the Telangana Legislative Council member before Special Judge MK Nagpal.
She was arrested by the central probe agency from her residence at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad last evening and brought to Delhi.
Kavitha's lawyer accused ED of flouting Supreme Court directions while arresting her.
Kavitha arrested in liquor scam case
Hours after being arrested in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha was brought to the office of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the national capital on Saturday (March 16).
Kavitha, the daughter of BRS founder and former Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, was arrested after a day-long questioning followed by a raid at her Hyderabad residence. She would be produced before a special court in Delhi today, possibly in the afternoon.
As per reports, ED recovered around five mobile phones from K Kavitha's house during the search. Statement of a witness who was present at the spot said that ED showed the search warrant but Kavita did not allow them for the investigation. After some time, the search operation was started.
ED's search operation at K Kavitha's house began yesterday at around 1:45 pm and it continued till around 6:45 pm on Friday.
What was mentioned in the arrest order?
In the arrest order, the ED investigation officer said, "I believe that Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha w/o Mr. D R Anil Kumar, residing at H. No. 8-2316/S/H, Road No 14, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telengana-500034 has been guilty of an offence punishable under the provision of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (15 of 2003)."
"Now, therefore, in exercise of the power conferred upon me under sub section (1) of section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (915 of 2003), I hereby arrest the said Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha at 05.20 pm on 15.03.2024 and she has been informed of grounds for arrest. A copy of the grounds of arrest (containing 14 pages) have been served upon her," the officer added.
The action comes almost two months after the ED issued summons to the 45-year-old BRS MLC. She was questioned thrice in this case last year, with the central agency recording her statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The BRS leader claimed earlier that she did nothing wrong and alleged that the BJP at the Centre was "using" the ED as it could not gain a "backdoor entry" into Telangana.
CBI probe in money laundering case
Earlier, the CBI also questioned Kavitha in connection with the money laundering case. The ED case was filed after taking cognisance of the CBI's FIR.
According to ED, Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, who was arrested last year in the case, "is one of the key persons in the entire scam involving payments of huge kickbacks and formation of the biggest cartel of the South Group". "South Group" comprises Telangana MLC Kavitha, Sarath Reddy (promoter of Aurobindo Group), Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (MP, Ongole), his son Raghav Magunta, and others, the probe said. The South Group was being represented by Pillai, Abhishek Boinpalli and Butchi Babu, the federal agency said during its investigation.
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