'It's an illegal arrest': K Kavitha's 1st reaction after being arrested by ED in Delhi excise policy case

Source: Hindustan Times

Delhi excise policy case: K Kavitha was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate at 5:20 pm on Friday from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha on Saturday dubbed her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate as 'illegal'.

"It's an illegal arrest, will fight it out," said Kavitha ahead of being produced in Delhi's Rouse Avenue court. The BRS leader was arrested by the central agency at 5:20 pm on Friday from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad.

"I believe that Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha w/o Mr. D R Anil Kumar, residing at H. No. 8-2316/S/H, Road No 14, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telengana-500034 has been guilty of an offence punishable under the provision of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (15 of 2003)," an ED investigation officer said in the arrest memo.

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Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, is the third high-profile leader to be arrested in the case. Besides her, Aam Aadmi Party leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are already in jail.

According to the ED, Kavitha was allegedly linked to a 'South Group' lobby of liquor traders who were trying to play a bigger role in the now scrapped Delhi excise policy. Vijay Nair, one of the accused, allegedly received kickbacks worth at least ₹100 crore on behalf of AAP leaders from the 'South Group', said to be controlled by Sarath Reddy, Kavitha and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy.

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The action comes almost two months after the ED issued a summons to the 45-year-old BRS leader. Kavitha was questioned thrice in this case last year, with the central agency recording her statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kavitha was earlier questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the case.