The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a summons to K Kavitha, a leader of the Bharatiya Rashtriya Samithi (BRS) and the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. She is required to appear at the ED's Delhi office for questioning on Friday. This summons is connected to the excise policy case in the national capital. Kavitha has previously undergone multiple rounds of questioning at the ED headquarters in March and had to surrender her mobile phones to the federal agency as part of the ongoing investigation.
The case revolves around allegations concerning the excise policy of the Delhi government for the year 2021-22, which involved the issuance of licenses to liquor traders. It is alleged that this policy allowed for cartelization and favored specific dealers who were purportedly involved in paying bribes. These allegations have been vehemently denied by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi.
In the wake of the controversy, the excise policy was canceled, and the Delhi Lieutenant Governor recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Subsequently, the ED initiated a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
During the course of its investigation, the ED recorded the statement of Butchibabu, an accountant believed to be associated with Kavitha. In his statement, Butchibabu asserted that "there was political understanding between K Kavitha and the chief minister (Arvind Kejriwal) and deputy chief minister (Manish Sisodia). In that process, K Kavitha also met Vijay Nair on March 19-20, 2021."
Kavitha has consistently maintained her innocence and has accused the BJP-led central government of utilizing the ED as a tool due to the saffron party's inability to secure a "backdoor entry" into Telangana.
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