Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, K. Kavitha has decided not to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case on Thursday. It was the second summons issued to Kavitha relating the case.
BRS general secretary Soma Bharath Kumar reached the ED office to inform her desicion. She conveyed to the ED that her plea regarding the summons is pending in the Supreme Court (SC).
According to officials, ED issued fresh summons to Kavitha on March 20.
Ahead of the questioning, the poster war between the BRS and BJP has escalated in different parts of Hyderabad. Posters with 'wanted written above the picture of BJP national general secretary B.L. Santhosh surfaced at various parts of the city.
The posters stated that Santhosh is 'talented in MLA poaching' and those who give information will get 'sanction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of Rs 15,00,000' as a reward.
Meanwhile, SC on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea by Kavitha seeking protection from arrest and challenging the summons by the ED in a money laundering case out of the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y Chandrachud and Justice P.S Narasimha took note of the submissions and agreed to hear the plea on March 24.
Last week, Kavitha was questioned by the ED for nearly nine hours. Reportedly, during the nine hours spent at the ED she was confronted with the statements made by Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandran Pillai, an accused arrested in the case, among other questions.
Pillai was arrested by the ED earlier and he had moved a city court accusing the ED of forging his statements.
ED had said that Pillai "represented the south group" an alleged liquor cartel linked to Kavitha and others that paid kickbacks amounting to about Rs 100 crore to the AAP to gain a larger share of the market in the national capital under the Delhi excise policy for 2020-21.
In connection with the case, the ED has arrested so far 12 people including former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.
