After ED, CBI arrests BRS leader K Kavitha in Delhi excise policy case

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 11

The CBI arrested Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha today in connection with a corruption case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, sources said.

The agency took her custody in Tihar Jail, where she is currently under judicial custody till April 23 in the same case after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month. CBI officials are learnt to have questioned her inside Tihar Jail after being permitted by a special court. She was reportedly grilled over the WhatsApp chats recovered from co-accused Buchi Babu’s phone and documents related to a land deal, after which an amount of Rs 100 crore was allegedly paid to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in kickbacks to swing the excise policy for the national capital in favour of a liquor lobby.

Later, Kavitha’s lawyer told mediapersons that they got information about her CBI arrest even though no notice was served on her or her counsel.

“Today, we got information that Kavitha was arrested, again. Neither she nor her counsel was served a notice. Without there being any notice, she has been arrested by the CBI while she was in judicial custody. I am asking the CBI what was the necessity of her arrest,” said Kavitha’s lawyer P Mohith Rao.

A Delhi court had on April 5 allowed the CBI to quiz Kavitha in jail, an order which she has challenged.

The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Kavitha (46) from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15.

Kavitha has been accused of being a key member in the “South group”, which the investigative agencies allege paid AAP kickbacks amounting to over Rs100 crore in return for a share of liquor licences in Delhi.

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