Delhi Court denies interim bail to BRS leader Kavitha

The Capital News

New Delhi: April 8: A Delhi court on Monday dismissed the interim bail plea of BRS leader K Kavitha, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam related to money laundering.

Special CBI judge Kaveri Baweja rejected Kavitha’s plea for interim bail. Kavitha had been remanded to judicial custody until April 09 on March 26. Her arrest by the ED occurred on the evening of March 15 following searches at her Hyderabad residence by the ED and Income Tax department. Initially remanded to ED custody till March 23, her custody was extended for an additional three days.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kavitha, argued that the court has discretion to grant bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), referencing Section 45 of the Act and various legal precedents. Singhvi stressed the importance of Kavitha’s presence for her 16-year-old son’s upcoming exams and asserted that a mother’s perspective is irreplaceable.

In opposition, special counsel Zoheb Hossain representing the ED contended that the provision under Section 45 of the PMLA pertains to women lacking agency, contrasting it with Kavitha’s role as a prominent political figure. Zoheb accused Kavitha of orchestrating bribes and tampering with evidence, including deleting content and formatting her mobile phones before surrendering them to the ED.

The ED’s arrest memo noted Kavitha’s arrest at 5:20 pm from her residence in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Earlier, on March 19, she withdrew her plea challenging ED summons from the Supreme Court, which subsequently directed her to seek bail from the trial court.

The ED had previously alleged that Kavitha played a pivotal role in the excise policy scam, conspiring with other individuals to provide kickbacks to top Aam Aadmi Party leaders and receiving undue benefits in return.