Hyderabad: Telangana Jagruthi president and former MLC K Kavitha on Friday, February 27, reiterated that the Delhi excise policy case against her was “politically motivated” and part of a vendetta against Opposition parties, hours after a Delhi court discharged all accused in the matter.
Court discharges accused
A special CBI court in Delhi discharged all 23 accused in the 2021–22 excise policy case, including former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Kavitha.
The case had been registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2022 over alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped policy.
The court held that no prima facie case was made out against any of the accused and observed that the prosecution’s case did not survive judicial scrutiny. It also criticised the agency’s reliance on approver statements to build a case of conspiracy.
‘Politically motivated’, says Kavitha
Speaking to the media after the verdict, Kavitha said she had consistently maintained that she had no connection with the case.
“I have said a hundred times that we have nothing to do with this case. This is a politically motivated case. As part of political vendetta, this case has been put on Opposition parties,” she stated.
She expressed gratitude to the judiciary, saying the courts had upheld her faith in the system.
“Today, the judiciary has cut through this entire web of lies. I am very thankful to everybody who stood by me during that difficult situation. Truth has triumphed. Truth can be hidden, but it can never be defeated,” she said.
Allegations of vendetta
Kavitha alleged that the case was aimed at targeting the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and its chief K. Chandrashekar Rao.
“Not only me, KCR garu himself has time and again said that this is a vendetta against BRS and him, which has been reflected on me,” she added.
Referring to the personal toll of the legal battle, Kavitha questioned who would account for the time she lost with her children and family during the course of the case.
Background of the case
The case dates back to 2022, when the CBI registered an FIR following a complaint by then Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, alleging that the excise policy was manipulated to favour certain licensees.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also initiated a parallel probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
