Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday, February 21, has once again summoned Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha for questioning on February 28, in connection to the Delhi Excise Policy ‘scam’, officials said.
She was questioned by the CBI in December 2023 and by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 12, 2023, and was summoned again on March 16 and March 20, 2023.
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that one of the accused in the case Vijay Nair received kickbacks to the tune of at least Rs 100 crore from a group called South Group (controlled by Sarath Reddy, Kavitha, and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy) on behalf of leaders of the AAP.
The CBI which has so far filed three charge sheets against a number of accused including former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has alleged that kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore were paid in advance to some politicians of the ruling AAP in Delhi and other public servants by some persons in the liquor business from South India through co-accused Nair, Abhishek Boinpally and Dinesh Arora.
The agency has alleged that these kickbacks are found to have been returned to them subsequently out of the profit margins of wholesalers holding L-1 licences through different modes, like issuance of excess credit notes, bank transfers, and outstanding amounts left in accounts of the companies controlled, by some conspirators from the “South lobby”.
The CBI has alleged a cartel was formed among three components of the policy — liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers — by violating provisions and against the spirit of the policy.
All the conspirators allegedly played active roles in achieving the illegal objectives of this criminal conspiracy.
It resulted in huge losses to the exchequer and undue pecuniary benefits to the public servants and other accused involved in the conspiracy, the CBI has alleged.
In September 2023, Kavitha secured a temporary reprieve from the Supreme Court, which directed the ED not to issue coercive actions or summons without notice until September 26, 2023.
Kavitha has denied any wrongdoing, stating repeatedly that she is being targeted by the BJP-led central government due to “political vendetta”.
She has also accused the probe agencies of being “biased and politically motivated.”
(With excerpts from PTI)
