20 March,2024 12:41 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
K Kavitha was arrested from her home/ PTI
The Supreme Court will hear Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader K Kavitha's petition challenging her arrest in a money laundering case pertaining to the Delhi excise policy case on March 22. The Telangana MLC was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 15 following raids at her home.
An ANI report stated that the matter will be heard by a bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi.
The report further added that Kavitha, through her attorney P Mohith Rao, moved the top court on Monday challenging her arrest in the Delhi excise policy case.
The BRS leader, who is in ED's custodial interrogation for seven days till March 23, in her petition challenged her remand saying that the remand order is not in accordance with Article 141 which states that the law declared by the top court shall be binding on all courts within India and challenged Section 19 (1) of the PMLA Act.
Daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, K Kavitha on Tuesday withdrew her plea that challenged ED summons in Delhi excise policy case, reported ANI.
Per the ANI report, the ED had claimed on Monday that BRS MLC K Kavitha has purportedly conspired with top brass of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia to get favours in Delhi excise policy formulation and execution. The federal agency also claimed that she was involved in paying a kickback of Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders in lieu of the favours.
ED arrests K Kavitha
ED arrested the BRS MLC on March 15 following a search operation conducted at her Hyderabad residence on the same day. As per the ANI report, ED officials claimed that they were obstructed by relatives and aides of Kavitha during searches.
The ANI report cited the ED statement saying, "ED investigation revealed that K Kavitha along with others allegedly conspired with the top leaders of AAP including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia for getting favours in the Delhi Excise policy formulation and implementation."
It added, "In exchange for these favours, she was involved in paying Rs 100 crore to the leaders of AAP. By the acts of corruption and conspiracy in the formulation and implementation of Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, a continuous stream of illegal funds in the form of kickback, from the wholesalers was generated for the AAP."
ED's probe in Delhi excise policy case
Thus far, the Enforcement Directorate has conducted searches on 245 locations across India including in Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and other locations and have arrested 15 persons including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Vijay Nair from AAP, stated the ANI report.
According to the report, ED has thus far filed one prosecution complaint and five supplementary complaints. ED, per ANI, claimed, "Further, out of proceeds of crime generated, assets worth Rs 128.79 crore have been traced so far and have been attached vide Provisional Attachment Orders dated January 24, 2023 and July 3, 2023. Both the attachment orders have been confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority, New Delhi."
