The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's daughter K Kavitha for questioning in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy money laundering case on Thursday. The 44-year-old Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC has been asked to depose before the federal agency in Delhi.
This comes in the wake of the arrest of Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai, who the ED alleges was the benami of Kavitha.
The ED had earlier said that Pillai "represented the south group", an alleged liquor cartel linked to Kavitha and others. The south group represented Reddy (promoter of Aurobindo Pharma), Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (YSR Congress MP from Ongole Lok Sabha seat), Kavitha and others.
According to ED chargesheet, Kavitha allegedly had indirect stake in Indo Spirits, a Delhi-based liquor wholesaler, whose owner Sameer Mahandru is an accused in the case. The South Group allegedly had about 65 percent stake in Indo Spirits, through proxies.
The MLC had earlier said she would be in Delhi for holding a one-day hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar on Friday, seeking the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming session of Parliament.
Kavitha was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in December for seven hours in the same case. The agency had then asked Kavitha to produce documents related to the Delhi liquor policy.
In February, the CBI had arrested a chartered accountant Butchibabu Gorantla in connection with the excise policy case. According to the agency, he was non-cooperative, and his responses were found to be evasive.
Kavitha had reacted to the accusations as "completely bogus and false." She had alleged that the cases against her and party leaders were "low-level politics." She added that she was ready to face any kind of inquiry.
As per the investigation agencies, the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers, who had allegedly paid bribes for it. The policy was later scrapped and the Delhi Lt Governor had recommended a CBI probe following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
In response, Kavitha termed the summons as Centre's "tactics of intimidation" against Chadrashekar Rao and the BRS party. Kavitha stated she and the party would fight to expose the Centre's failures and will raise voice for a brighter and better future for India.
"I would also like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, CM KCR, and against the entire BRS Party will not deter us. Under the leadership of KCR Garu, we will continue to fight to expose your failures and raise voice for a brighter and better future for India," she posted a statement on Twitter.
