Hyderabad: Sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday, March 15, raided the residence of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha in Banjara Hills as part of a money laundering investigation, reports said.
It was not clear if the action is linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy linked case of the central agency in which the ED has questioned the BRS MLC and daughter of former Telangana chief minister Chandrashekar Rao.
According to reports, searches are underway and the ED officials seized the mobile phones of Kavitha and her associates during the raids.
The ED is also reportedly conducting searches in several other locations in the city in connection with the case.
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing till March 19 on K. Kavitha’s plea against ED summons in connection with Delhi excise policy irregularities matter.
Kavitha, who was summoned by the CBI in the Delhi Excise Policy case requested the agency to postpone the notice due to the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The Supreme Court, on February 28, extended the protection granted to Kavitha until March 13 in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
During the previous summoning, Kavitha was presented with statements from her former chartered accountant, Butchibabu Gorantla, and Arun Ramchandra Pillai.
While Butchibabu was arrested by the CBI in February, Pillai was arrested by the ED in March last year.
Kavitha refuted all the allegations against her in the case.
BRS questions timing of raids
BRS leader Krishank questioned the timing of the raids on the BRS MLC’s residence as they come just a day ahead of the Election Commission’s announcement of dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
“Why ED Raid on @RaoKavitha just 24 hours before Election Code
To fight Election against KCR garu, BJP needs ED ….” he said in a post on X.
(This is a developing story. The latest version will be updated)
