ED to retrieve information from Kavitha's phones; BRS legal cell member will be present during the process

In connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, the ED will retrieve information from the 10 phones of BRS MLC K Kavitha. Kavitha had submitted those phones on March 21 when she went to ED's office for the third time for questioning.

Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday informed BRS MLC K Kavitha that they were ready to open the mobiles phones deposited by her. In a letter to Telangana chief minister's daughter, the joint director of ED asked her to either be present herself or depute her representative when the agency retrieves information from her phones. Soma Bharat, general secretary of BRS's legal cell, will attend the process at the ED's office on behalf of Kavitha in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.

This comes a day after the Supreme Court rejected Kavitha's plea seeking a stay on the ED's summons. In her petition, the BRS leader had argued that a woman could not be summoned by the agency to their office and instead she should be allowed to be questioned from her home. Kavitha had accused ED of violating Section 160 of the CrPC by summoning her to their office. The apex court, however, had tagged her petition with the similar other petitions.

On March 21, when Kavitha attended ED's office for questioning, she submitted 10 phones that she had used in the past. Earlier, ED had alleged that the phones that she used during the period of scam had been destroyed. Kavitha also submitted a letter to the ED stating that its accusations of her phones being destroyed was malafide, misconceived and prejudical. She said phones were submitted to negate the adverse impression that the agency was creating about her. Kavitha was questioned on March 11, 20 and 21.