Delhi Excise Policy case: Delhi court sends BRS leader K Kavitha to judicial custody till April 9

A Delhi court on Tuesday sent Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha to judicial custody till April 9 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. .Special Judge (PC Act) Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order after Enforcement Directorate (ED) asked the Court to send Kavitha to judicial custody for a period of 15 days. The ED argued that Kavitha is a "highly influential" person and there is every likelihood that she will "influence the witnesses and tamper with the evidence if released". It further argued that Kavitha's role in the Excise policy case is still being investigated and the ED is unearthing the further proceeds of crime and identifying other persons who are involved or connected with the process or activities related to proceeds of crime. The probe agency stated that it will seek further custody of Kavitha, if needed. .Kavitha was arrested on March 15 evening from Hyderabad, hours after an ED team searched the premises and interrogated her.On March 16, the Rouse Avenue Court had remanded her to ED custody for a week.On March 22, the Supreme Court denied any urgent relief to her.A special bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi said that she would have to approach the trial court for bail.Notably, on March 22, the Rouse Avenue Court remanded Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to six days ED custody.Kejriwal and Kavitha are some of the most high-profile politicians to be arrested by the ED in the Delhi excise policy case.AAP MP Sanjay Singh and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are already behind bars in the case..Allegations against K Kavitha.The ED has claimed Kavitha was linked to a "South Group" lobby of liquor traders who were trying to play a larger role under the now scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.It has been alleged that one of the accused in the case, Vijay Nair, received kickbacks to the tune of at least ₹100 crores on behalf of AAP leaders from the "South Group", allegedly controlled by Sarath Reddy, K Kavitha and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy.However, Kavitha has claimed that she has done nothing wrong and alleged that the Central government was misusing the ED to gain ground in Telangana.The ED questioned Kavitha thrice in 2023 in this case and again summoned her this year but she did not depose, citing a Supreme Court direction that allowed her protection from any coercive action.