Delhi Court dismisses BRS leader K Kavitha's bail petitions in ED, CBI cases

NEW DELHI: The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Monday dismissed the bail petitions moved by Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in connection with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) cases related to the Excise policy case.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja on Monday passed the order and said both bail petitions in ED as well as in the CBI case were dismissed. A detailed order copy is awaited.

Senior Advocates Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Vikram Chaudhari alongwith advocates Nitesh Rana, Mohit Rao and Deepak Nagar appeared for the K Kavitha in the matter.

Through plea, K Kavitha alleged that the ruling party in the Centre is using investigative agencies to publicly connect the petitioner to the Delhi Excise policy so that further coercive actions can be taken against her. The investigating agencies are well aware that there is no substance to the allegation of the petitioner's involvement in the alleged scam. The intention behind the purported investigation against the petitioner is not to ascertain her involvement in the alleged scam, since it is painfully clear that none exists.

"The political masterminds are well aware that if the petitioner can be connected to the alleged scam, it will bring her, and by logical implication, her father, the erstwhile Chief Minister of Telangana, into disrepute. The political mileage gained from such actions can be used in the general elections scheduled for 2024. This is the sole and singular motive of the purported investigation. This is political propaganda at its shameful lowest, even by the not-so-high standards in Indian politics," stated bail plea.

BRS leader K Kavitha was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 15, 2024 and by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 11, 2024.

Earlier, CBI through remand application stated that "Kavitha Kalvakuntla was required to be arrested in the instant case to conduct her custodial interrogation for confronting her with the evidence and witnesses to unearth the larger conspiracy hatched among the accused, suspect persons regarding the formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy, as well as to establish the money trail of ill-gotten money generated and to establish the role of other accused/suspect persons, including public servants, as well as to unearth the facts which are in her exclusive knowledge."

The CBI inquiry was recommended based on the findings of the Delhi Chief Secretary's report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials said.

The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval.

The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies said.

As per the allegations, the Excise Department had decided to refund the earnest money deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules.

Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19, the probe agency said and there was an alleged loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer.