Excise Policy Case: Delhi Court Extends Judicial Custody of BRS Leader K Kavitha Till July 3

BRS leader K Kavitha's judicial custody in a money laundering case linked to an alleged excise scam has been extended until July 3 by a Delhi court. The decision was made by Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, who issued the extension after Kavitha was brought before the court as per its earlier order for a production warrant.

The court had issued the warrants after taking cognisance of a charge sheet against the BRS leader in the case on May 29. The court also granted bail to three co-accused persons - Prince, Damodar and Arvind Singh.

In March, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested 46-year-old Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad. Last month, the ED lodged a prosecution complaint of nearly 200 pages along with annexures under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED has leveled accusations against Kavitha, alleging her involvement as a pivotal member of the 'South Group.' This group is purported to have paid alleged kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in exchange for a substantial portion of liquor licenses in Delhi, under the now-defunct excise policy for 2021-22. The agency previously stated that Kavitha played a significant role as "one of the kingpins, a key conspirator, and beneficiary" in what it terms as the Delhi excise policy scam. This case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for the aforementioned period.