Delhi excise policy scam: High Court to give verdict on K Kavitha's bail pleas on Monday

K Kavitha/ PTI

The Delhi High Court is set to rule on BRS leader K Kavitha's bail applications in connection with corruption and money laundering allegations relating to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam on Monday. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who reserved the ruling on Kavitha's two bail requests on May 28, will give the verdict at 2:30 p.m. on July 1, reported PTI.

According to the report, Kavitha filed an appeal against the trial court's May 6 ruling, which denied her bail applications in both the CBI's corruption investigation and the ED's money laundering case stemming from the Delhi Excise policy scam. Her lawyer stated that Kavitha is the only woman among the 50 defendants in the excise case, and requested the court to give her bail, citing the law's regard for women.

However, the CBI and ED opposed the bail applications, claiming that Kavitha was highly influential and strong enough to potentially influence witnesses. The agencies stated that she played a key role in the conspiracy and, as an active politician and legislative council member, is ineligible for the leniency generally granted to vulnerable women, the report added.

The CBI's counsel contended that Kavitha's influence had the potential to intimidate witnesses, with one witness allegedly being intimidated by her. The ED's lawyer alleged that Kavitha was both a co-conspirator and a beneficiary of the Delhi excise policy scam, getting direct earnings from it. They also accused her of deleting evidence and pressuring witnesses to withdraw their accounts.

The ED claimed that Kavitha's release would jeopardise further investigation into the "deep-rooted, multi-layered conspiracy". They identified her as a "highly influential" person accused of committing a serious economic crime, having the ability to tamper with evidence and influence witnesses, the PTI report stated.

The ED's counter-affidavit said that Kavitha colluded with others and was actively involved in the payment of kickbacks of Rs 100 crore. She allegedly constructed the money laundering ecosystem via her proxy, earning Rs 192.8 crore. The overall proceeds of crime associated with her operations amount to Rs 292.8 crore.

According to the news agency report, Kavitha is currently in judicial detention for the two complaints filed by the ED and CBI about the alleged scam, which involves corruption and money laundering in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi government's 2021-22 excise policy, later scrapped.

The ED arrested Kavitha (46) from her residence in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, on March 15, while the CBI arrested her from Tihar jail. In her bail plea, the BRS leader, daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, claims she has "nothing to do" with the excise policy and alleges a criminal conspiracy against her orchestrated by the ruling party at the Centre, with the active involvement of the ED.