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HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday grilled K Kavithathe Bharat Rasthra Samithi (BRS) MLC and Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter, for nine hours in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
Kavitha has been summoned again by the probe agency on March 16.
Kavitha entered the ED office on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in Delhi around 11am from Telangana CM’s official residence on Tughlak Road. She came out at around 8 pm in her car and waved at the BRS activists waiting at the ED office, who raised slogans to support her.
The ED collected Kavitha’s personal and financial information. In addition, the investigators questioned Kavitha regarding the alleged destruction of phones she used during the scam period.
The ED has confronted her with another accused, Arun Ramchandran Pillai, regarding the meetings among the accused and money transactions.
The investigating agency asked her several questions regarding the WhatsApp messages and meetings with her ex auditor Gorantla Butchi Babu. The key allegation is that Kavitha, as part of South Lobby, resorted to conspiracy along with the AAP government, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and others in formulating the Delhi excise policy.
She allegedly held benami investments in tainted company Indospirits. The ED asked her about the bribery and money movement in the scam, where it is alleged crore 100 crore is exchanged.
The ED has served the summons to Kavitha under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which confers the power to ask a person to give evidence or to furnish any records during the investigation process.
Kavitha is going to celebrate her birthday on March 13 in Hyderabad.
Six ministers from BRS, including Kavitha’s brother and IT Minister K T Rama Rao, spent the whole day in New Delhi. A battery of lawyers was kept ready to fight the case in case of any legal action by the probe agency.
Delhi Police and central paramilitary forces barricaded the ED offices to thwart any protests by the BRS leaders and activists who reached Delhi.
The BRS leaders protested before Telangana Bhavan in Delhi and raised slogans against Bharatiya Janata Party.
As a Hyderabad businessman and alleged frontman of Kavitha, Arun Ramchandran Pillai has retracted his statement in front of the Enforcement Directorate. However, ED is now depending on Kavitha’s ex-auditor, Gorantla Butchi Babu, who confessed to various meetings of Kavitha and WhatsApp chats.
The South lobby, including Kavitha, bribed the AAP government to formulate an excise policy to facilitate the companies to win the bids, form a cartel, and control the retail outlets in Delhi. Kavitha invested money through her benamis and returned the money from the company after getting the licenses, ED alleged.
Businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, who was case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam, in his petition in Rouse Avenue court accused the Enforcement Directorate has allegedly forged his statements.
ED court has asked the agency to file a reply by March 13.
Senior advocate Surender Rao said, “The confession statement before ED is acceptable as evidence. The burden is on that person if he is retracting a confessional statement. A mere retraction of confession could not be sufficient to make a confessional statement irrelevant for proceeding in the case. Sufficient evidence has to be produced to say that the statement is involuntary”.
Kavitha has been summoned again by the probe agency on March 16.
Kavitha entered the ED office on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in Delhi around 11am from Telangana CM’s official residence on Tughlak Road. She came out at around 8 pm in her car and waved at the BRS activists waiting at the ED office, who raised slogans to support her.
The ED collected Kavitha’s personal and financial information. In addition, the investigators questioned Kavitha regarding the alleged destruction of phones she used during the scam period.
The ED has confronted her with another accused, Arun Ramchandran Pillai, regarding the meetings among the accused and money transactions.
The investigating agency asked her several questions regarding the WhatsApp messages and meetings with her ex auditor Gorantla Butchi Babu. The key allegation is that Kavitha, as part of South Lobby, resorted to conspiracy along with the AAP government, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and others in formulating the Delhi excise policy.
She allegedly held benami investments in tainted company Indospirits. The ED asked her about the bribery and money movement in the scam, where it is alleged crore 100 crore is exchanged.
The ED has served the summons to Kavitha under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which confers the power to ask a person to give evidence or to furnish any records during the investigation process.
Kavitha is going to celebrate her birthday on March 13 in Hyderabad.
Six ministers from BRS, including Kavitha’s brother and IT Minister K T Rama Rao, spent the whole day in New Delhi. A battery of lawyers was kept ready to fight the case in case of any legal action by the probe agency.
Delhi Police and central paramilitary forces barricaded the ED offices to thwart any protests by the BRS leaders and activists who reached Delhi.
The BRS leaders protested before Telangana Bhavan in Delhi and raised slogans against Bharatiya Janata Party.
As a Hyderabad businessman and alleged frontman of Kavitha, Arun Ramchandran Pillai has retracted his statement in front of the Enforcement Directorate. However, ED is now depending on Kavitha’s ex-auditor, Gorantla Butchi Babu, who confessed to various meetings of Kavitha and WhatsApp chats.
The South lobby, including Kavitha, bribed the AAP government to formulate an excise policy to facilitate the companies to win the bids, form a cartel, and control the retail outlets in Delhi. Kavitha invested money through her benamis and returned the money from the company after getting the licenses, ED alleged.
Businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, who was case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam, in his petition in Rouse Avenue court accused the Enforcement Directorate has allegedly forged his statements.
ED court has asked the agency to file a reply by March 13.
Senior advocate Surender Rao said, “The confession statement before ED is acceptable as evidence. The burden is on that person if he is retracting a confessional statement. A mere retraction of confession could not be sufficient to make a confessional statement irrelevant for proceeding in the case. Sufficient evidence has to be produced to say that the statement is involuntary”.
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