New Delhi: The Supreme Court dealt a blow to MLC K Kavitha and her political party, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), when it denied her request for a stay on the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the Delhi liquor policy case.
Kavitha had also argued that a woman could not be summoned for questioning by the ED in their office, and that her questioning should take place at her residence. The court rejected her plea and tagged it with other similar petitions, stating that her questioning could take place at the ED office.
Earlier the BRS MLC and Telangana Chief Minister KCR's daughter Kavitha appealed to Supreme Court seeking protection against the arrest and notices by the Enforcement Directorate in the alleged irregularities in the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy. Sources said that a bench of Justice Ajay Rastogi and Justice Bela M Trivedi will hear the petition filed by Kavitha.
Also read: Kavitha submits phones to ED; accuses agency of defaming her and prejudice
The apex court had on Mar. 15 agreed to hear the plea by the BRS MLC against the ED notices. In her petition Kavitha has said that the ED is writing down her rights as a woman. Kavitha stated in the petition that she was called as a witness in the case and should be questioned at her home or through video conference.
Kavita stated in her petition that she was called to the ED office for questioning in violation of Section 160 of the CrPC. She said that there were “many examples in the past that ED officials were causing mental and physical problems during the investigation”. In the petition, Kavitha stated that “the way the ED officials acted was shocking” adding “the way the ED officials behaved toward some of the accused made her worried and afraid”.
Kavitha urged the Supreme Court to give appropriate directions to conduct the investigation under the surveillance of CCTV cameras in the presence of lawyers. The BRS leader was on Mar. 21 grilled by the ED at its New Delhi office for the 3rd time in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam case. Earlier, Kavitha was questioned by the ED on Mar. 20 and Mar. 11 in the case.
