Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC K Kavitha on Tuesday publicly displayed a number of mobile phones to counter the Enforcement Directorate’s claim that she had destroyed them as she appeared for questioning in a case related to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy, reported PTI.
The Enforcement Directorate, which is investigating the money laundering aspect in the case, has alleged that Kavitha is part of the “South Group” that paid at least Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party through arrested businessman Vijay Nair.
The Delhi government’s excise policy came into effect in November 2021. Under it, licences of 849 liquor shops were issued to private firms through open bidding. Earlier, four government corporations ran 475 liquor stores and the remaining 389 were private shops.
However, the policy was withdrawn by the Aam Aadmi Party-led government on July 30 after Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry, alleging irregularities in the policy’s formulation and implementation.
Kavitha was first summoned for questioning in the national capital on March 11.
The Enforcement Directorate had claimed in one of its report that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter had destroyed her phones to erase evidence. This information was later leaked to the media, reported The News Minute.
On Tuesday, Kavitha displayed a sealed package containing her phones to the media, before submitting them to the investigating officers on Tuesday. She also wrote to assistant director of the Enforcement Directorate, saying that the allegations were not only “malafide, misconceived but also prejudicial”, reported PTI.
“It is unfortunate that a premier agency like the Enforcement Directorate is becoming privy and party to these acts and sabotaging and sacrificing its sacrosanct duty of free and fair investigation at the altar of vested political interest.”
The politician alleged that the accusation that she had destroyed her phones was false and it had been deliberately leaked to give her political rivals the opportunity to defame her.
Last week, Kavitha had moved the Supreme Court challenging her questioning by the Enforcement Directorate. The court will hear the matter on March 24.
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