New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate to the bail plea filed by the BRS leader K Kavitha. She has been arrested in corruption and money laundering cases connected with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
The matter was taken up by a bench comprising justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan. The bench agreed to hear Kavitha's pleas challenging the Delhi High Court verdict, which denied her bail in these cases. The apex court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on August 20. The court was informed by Kavitha’s counsel that she had already served five months in prison. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi argued that his client "is entitled to bail".
The counsel drew parallels to the decisions of the top court, offering relief to individuals in the alleged scam. He argued that her case was similar to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The court had granted bail to Sisodia last week in the cases registered by the CBI and the ED in the alleged scam. Kejriwal was granted bail in the ED case, but he remains in judicial custody as the CBI had arrested him in connection with the same case. Kejriwal has moved the apex court seeking his release, challenging the CBI's arrest.
Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested by the ED on March 15 and then by the CBI on April 11, earlier this year. She has been accused of being a key member of the "South Group", which allegedly paid the ruling AAP in Delhi kickbacks of Rs 100 crore in return for a big share of liquor licences in the national capital.
