K Kavitha skips fresh ED summons; ‘drama’ for political gain by BJP says Telangana Congress leader

Responding to an earlier summons at a press conference in Nizamabad on 14 September, 2023, Kavitha had said: “Targeting the leaders of the ruling party using central investigation agencies is the modus operandi of the BJP in every poll-bound state,” adding that the summons was not “ED notice, but Modi notice”.

‘Drama’ says Congress

Meanwhile, the ruling Congress in Telangana has alleged that the ED’s latest summons to Kavitha was merely an attempt by the BJP to show that it is not the “B team” of the BRS.

“ED notices (were sent) to Kavitha just because Lok Sabha polls (are) around the corner; the BJP wants to show the people of Telangana that they are not A or B team of BRS,” state Congress Vice-President Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said in a video released late on Monday.

In the recent Assembly elections, the people of Telangana realised that the BJP and BRS are together, he claimed.

Now, after BRS lost the Assembly elections, the BJP has started the “drama” of ED questioning Kavitha as the party wants to gain politically, he alleged.

“But, the people of Telangana are very clever. Such actions will not show any impact,” he said.

Related: Not ED but Modi notice, says BRS MLC K Kavitha

The case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Kavitha for a fresh round of questioning in connection with its probe into the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, official sources said.

The ED first summoned Kavitha to appear before it in New Delhi on 9 March last year. However, she appeared before it on 11 March, citing some inconveniences.

On 20 March, ED sleuths again grilled Kavitha for close to 10 hours. She was grilled for the third time, again for almost 10 hours, on 21 March as well.

The ED, which is responsible for investigating money laundering, is working to determine if she was involved in the formulation of policies and her alleged participation in bribery for a favourable policy.

There are accusations that Kavitha maintained communication with Vijay Nair, the former communication-in-charge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that rules Drlhi. Nair was reportedly engaging with business people in the liquor industry and politicians during the formulation and execution of the excise policy in 2021.

As per reports, authorities mentioned that Kavitha was likely to be questioned about her ties to Sameer Mahendru’s IndoSpirits Group.

Additionally, she was expected to be questioned regarding the alleged payment of kickbacks amounting to ₹100 crore by the so-called “South Group” to leaders of the AAP.

On 14 September, in a press conference in Nizamabad, after she received an earlier the ED summons, Kavitha had said: “Targeting the leaders of the ruling party using central investigation agencies is the modus operandi of the BJP in every poll-bound state,” adding that the summons was not “ED notice, but Modi notice”.

Also Read: Kavitha gets a breather till 20 November

Supreme Court order

In September, the Supreme Court ordered the ED not to call Kavitha for questioning.

Kavitha, in her petition, urged the top court to quash the 7 and 11 March and the 14 September summons by the ED stating that asking her to appear at the agency’s office instead of her residence was contrary to the settled tenets of criminal jurisprudence and, thus, wholly unsustainable in law being violative of the proviso to Section 160 of CrPC.

She has also sought that the seizure made by the ED be declared null and void.

The ED said that Section 160 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is not applicable in PMLA cases in pursuance to the top court judgement upholding stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

(With PTI inputs)