K Kavitha, a prominent leader of the BRS and daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, found herself in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate today in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. The arrest followed searches conducted at her residence in Hyderabad earlier in the day.
As she was escorted to Delhi by officials of the probe agency, Kavitha, 45, displayed a gesture of victory and waved to her supporters gathered outside her home. Senior BRS leader Prasanth Reddy confirmed that Kavitha would be flown to Delhi later in the evening, with flight arrangements reportedly made beforehand by the Enforcement Directorate.
In a show of solidarity, a multitude of BRS supporters and leaders, including Working President KT Rama Rao and former Minister Harish Rao, congregated outside Kavitha's residence upon the arrival of the probe agency team. Meanwhile, Kavitha's brother, KT Rama Rao, expressed dismay over her arrest, alleging a violation of a Supreme Court order.
The Enforcement Directorate's decision to apprehend Kavitha stems from allegations related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as outlined in an arrest memo issued by the Assistant Director of the agency. Kavitha has been apprised of the grounds for her arrest and served with a detailed document outlining these grounds.
This development is linked to the Delhi liquor policy case, wherein Amit Arora, an accused, implicated Kavitha during interrogation. The Enforcement Directorate alleges the existence of a liquor lobby referred to as the "South Group," which purportedly disbursed substantial kickbacks to several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders via Vijay Nair, another accused. The agency further alleges a business association between the handler of the "South Group" and Kavitha.
Despite these allegations, Kavitha maintains her innocence, attributing the situation to what she perceives as the BJP-led Central government's misuse of central agencies to gain unwarranted influence in Telangana. Notably, Kavitha had previously been questioned multiple times in connection with the liquor policy case, with her statement recorded under the PMLA last year.
