ED summons Telangana CM's daughter K Kavitha in Delhi excise policy case

PTI

New Delhi, March 8

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's daughter K Kavitha in connection with a money-laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, officials said on Wednesday.

Kavitha, 44, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party MLC, has been asked to depose on March 9 before the federal agency in the national capital.

She has been called so that she can be confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, an alleged frontman of the 'south group', who was arrested by the ED on Monday.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier said that Pillai "represented the south group", an alleged liquor cartel linked to Kavitha and others.

Kavitha had said she would be in Delhi for holding a one-day hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar on March 10 to seek the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming session of Parliament.

The BRS leader has been questioned by the CBI in the case earlier.

It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers, who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the ruling AAP here.

The policy was later scrapped and the Delhi Lt Governor had recommended a CBI probe following which the ED registered a case under the  Prevention of Money Laundering Act. 

Will seek legal opinion on date of deposing before ED: BRS MLC Kavitha

Hyderabad: BRS MLC in Telangana K Kavitha, who has been summoned by the ED, on Wednesday said she would fully cooperate with the investigation agency but would seek legal opinion on the date of deposition in view of her proposed dharna in support of the women’s reservation bill in Delhi on March 10.

Kavitha said “these tactics of intimidation” against the fight of her father and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the BRS would not deter them.

In a statement here, she claimed that she has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to depose on March 9 “in light of” her proposed hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in support of the women’s reservation bill on March 10.

“As a law-abiding citizen, I will fully cooperate with the investigation agencies. However, due to the dharna and prefixed appointments, I’ll seek legal opinions on the date of attending it,” she said.

“I would also like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, CM Shri KCR, and against the entire BRS Party will not deter us,” Kavitha said.

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