ED files fresh charge sheet; names BRS leader K Kavitha

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed a fresh charge sheet in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case naming BRS leader K Kavitha as an accused, official sources said.

The federal agency had arrested 46-year-old Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, from her Banjara hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15.

The sources said the prosecution complaint was filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kaveri Baweja, the special judge for CBI, ED cases, is likely to take up the charge sheet for cognisance on May 13.

A similar complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to be filed next week.

This is the seventh charge sheet by the ED in this case in which it has arrested 18 people so far including Kejriwal, who was given interim bail by the Supreme Court on Friday.

The ED has alleged that Kavitha was a key member of the ‘South Group’ that has been accused of paying the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged kickbacks of Rs 100 crore in return for a big share of liquor licences in the national capital, as part of the excise policy for 2021-22 which has was scrapped following allegations of corruption and cartelisation of liquor traders.

The agency earlier said Kavitha was “one of the kingpins, a key conspirator and beneficiary of the Delhi excise policy scam”.

“K Kavitha orchestrated a deal with Arvind Kejriwal, then deputy chief minister and minister of excise Manish Sisodia, wherein she along with other members of the South Group paid them kickbacks through a string of intermediaries and middlemen.

“In exchange of the kickbacks paid to the leaders of AAP she had access to the policy formulation and was offered provisions to ensure favourable position to her,” the ED had claimed.

It further alleged Kavitha was “involved” in various activities relating to proceeds of crime to the tune of at least Rs 292.8 crore.

In a linked development, the Delhi High Court on Friday sought the stand of the ED on a bail plea moved by Kavitha in this case.

She was also arrested by the CBI when she was under judicial custody in the ED case.