K Kavitha, a prominent leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), has been alleged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to have conspired with members of the so-called ‘South Group’ and AAP leaders.
The accusation suggests that she was involved in a scheme to pay kickbacks amounting to Rs 100 crore and receive undue benefits in connection with a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy. These details were revealed in the chargesheet exclusively accessed by India Today.
As per the ED chargesheet, Kavitha, through the formation of Indo Spirits, participated in the generation, acquisition, and use of proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 292.8 crore. The probe agency claims that this sum was derived as a result of the conspiracy and payment of kickbacks.
The chargesheet further alleges that Kavitha received proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 5.5 crore from Indo Spirits in the name of her associate Abhishek Boinpally. It also claims that she participated in paying kickbacks to government functionaries through middlemen, resulting in the generation of proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 1,100 crore.
The ED asserts that Kavitha attempted to conceal her involvement by deleting evidence and contents from her mobile phone. During questioning, she was unable to provide any explanation for the formatted phones presented for examination.
In addition, the chargesheet states that Kavitha was involved in acts of influencing witnesses in the case. The ED alleges that Buchi Babu, the chartered accountant of K Kavitha, revealed that an associate of the BRS leader was coerced into retracting his statements given to the ED on February 23 and February 28.
Earlier in the day, a Delhi court extended the judicial custody of Kavitha until July 3 in connection with the liquor policy case. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja made this decision after Kavitha was produced before the court.
The court had issued a production warrant against her after taking cognizance of a chargesheet filed against her on May 29.
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Kavitha is currently in judicial custody in two cases lodged by the ED and the CBI related to the liquor policy. She was arrested by the ED from her Banjara Hills home in Hyderabad on March 15 and subsequently by the CBI from Delhi’s Tihar Jail, where she is currently lodged.
The investigating agencies have raised concerns about loopholes in the liquor policy and alleged kickbacks totaling Rs 100 crore from the ‘South Group’, of which Kavitha was purportedly a part.
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