K Kavitha sentenced to 7-day custody in Delhi liquor fraud case; BRS protests in Telangana

K Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister and BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from her residence in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad on Friday evening.

BRS leader K Kavitha waves to supporters as the Enforcement Directorate detains her in Delhi’s alleged excise case at BRS MLC K Kavitha’s residence in Hyderabad on Friday. (ANI photo)

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha was sent to 7-day custody by a special court in Delhi on Saturday in connection with an alleged money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy ‘scam’.

Delhi Special Judge MK Nagpal Rouse Avenue Court sent Kavitha to ED custody till March 23 on a plea filed by the central probe agency seeking remand of the BRS leader in the case.

ED ignored SC’s directions: Kavitha’s counsel

Defending Kavitha, senior advocate Vikram Chaudhari and advocate Nitesh Rana told the judge that her arrest was “illegal” while also accusing the federal probe agency of ignoring the Supreme Court’s directions in arresting the BRS MLC.

Kavitha’s counsel claimed that the Supreme Court had directed the ED not to take coercive action against the BRS leader before hearing her plea against the summons the agency had served on her on March 19.

“It is a dark day when orders of the SC are violated, when an officer thinks he/she is above the law,” the court counsel said.

Enough evidence against Kavitha: ED

However, the ED said it has not made any statement before any court, including the Supreme Court, that no coercive action will be taken against K Kavitha.

“There is enough evidence, witness statements against K Kavitha in the case,” the ED told the court.

The agency also accused Kavitha of destroying evidence in the case.

“We have called several witnesses to confront K Kavitha,” the agency told the court.

K Kavitha arrest

K Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from her residence in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad on Friday evening.

The agency has produced Kavitha before the special court and sought ten days’ detention for her. However, the court remanded her in custody only till March 23.

Speaking to reporters while appearing in court, Kavitha, 46, called her arrest illegal and asserted: “We will fight the matter in court.”

BRS ranks protest in Telangana

Meanwhile, BRS workers and supporters protested across Telangana on Saturday against the “illegal” arrest of K Kavitha.

“BRS held protests across Telangana against the illegal arrest of K Kavitha,” BRS said in a post on X.

#WATCH | BRS leaders stage a protest in Malkajgiri over the ED’s arrest of party leader K Kavitha in a Delhi excise policy case pic.twitter.com/T0LNhx6Klt

— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2024

The party also accused the BJP-led NDA government of misusing central agencies.

The protesters called Kavitha’s arrest illegal, waved black flags and wore black clothing
their necks and pulled out rallies and squatted on roads.

Holding banners reading ‘We stand with Kavithakka’, ‘Stop illegal arrests immediately’ and ‘The stubborn attitude of the central government must end’, the BRS workers raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP .

#WATCH | Nizamabad: BRS party cadres are staging a state-wide protest over the arrest of BRS MLC K Kavitha in connection with the Delhi excise money laundering case. pic.twitter.com/ej4qULK4cn

— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2024

The protesters also burned Prime Minister Modi’s effigy at some places.

(With PTI inputs)