ED summons BRS leader K Kavitha's former auditor in excise policy 'scam'

New Delhi, March 13

The ED has summoned Butchibabu Gorantla, alleged to be a former auditor of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, under the PMLA to confront him with another arrested accused in the Delhi excise policy case.

Butchibabu, who is out on bail, has been asked to depose before the agency on March 15, a day before the scheduled second round of questioning of Telangana MLC Kavitha.

The agency made this disclosure on Monday before a local court while seeking an extension of custody of Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandran Pillai, whom it had arrested on March 6. The court extended Pillai’s remand by three days.

In the remand note for Pillai, the ED told the court that Butchibabu was initially asked to join the probe on March 9, but he sought adjournment till March 13 citing health issues. “He has been summoned again for March 15,” the ED said.

The agency also informed the court that Pillai and Butchibabu were staying at a Hyderabad five-star hotel in mid-March, during the period when the GoM report on the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy was being formulated.

“It has been revealed that the hotel’s business centre has been used by the said persons staying there,” the ED said, adding that it had sought details from the hotel on this and it was awaited.