Delhi Court remands K Kavitha to CBI custody till April 15

A Delhi Court on Friday remanded Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha to the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) till April 15 in the Delhi Excise Policy Case..Special Judge (PC Act) Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order. The CBI had earlier sought five-days custody of the BRS leader, who was arrested by the central agency on Thursday following her questioning in the case. Kavitha was already in judicial custody in the money laundering case connected to the alleged scam when she was arrested by the CBI..The case against Kavitha and others originated in 2022 when First Information Report (FIR) was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleging that the Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-22 was manipulated to facilitate monopolisation and cartelisation of wholesale and retail liquor trade in Delhi.The case was registered under provisions of Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Particularly, it was alleged that certain persons from South India were benefited in the process and some amount of their profits was given to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Enforcement Directorate (ED) is separately probing money laundering allegations in the case..While seeking her remand today, the CBI told the Court that the BRS leader had played a "big role" in arranging the money. It also cited WhatsApp chats to claim that Kavitha was holding partnership in the wholesale license of liquor company Indospirit through a proxy.The central agency also accused Kavitha of giving evasive and contrary replies during her recent questioning. Calling her a kingpin and main conspirator, the CBI said the involvement of others was still being investigated and thus Kavitha's interrogation was necessary. .Countering the arguments, Kavitha's counsel questioned the timing of arrest and submitted that the evidences being cited by the CBI now to justify her arrest were much older. Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhary also referred to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and alleged that the central agency by arresting Kavitha in the second case, was attempting to prolong a popular leader's custody..Kavitha had been arrested by the ED on March 15. She is alleged to have paid the bribes to AAP leaders in exchange of undue favours for herself and the "South Group" of liquor traders and lobbyists.She is among one of the most high-profile politicians to be arrested by the ED in the Delhi excise policy case.Other political leaders arrested in this case include Delhi Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia..The Court on April 5 had allowed CBI to question Kavitha in judicial custody after the central agency had moved an application for it.The CBI had said it wants to question Kavitha regarding chats recovered from Buchi Babu's (accountant associated to her) phone and documents related to a land deal post which ₹100 crore bribes were allegedly paid to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in kickbacks. .Delhi court denies interim bail to K Kavitha in Excise Policy case