A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha till April 23 in the Delhi liquor policy case, reported PTI.
Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was denied interim bail in the case a day earlier.
She was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate from her Hyderabad residence on March 15. On March 26, she was sent to judicial custody till April 9 after the agency said her further custodial interrogation was not required.
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Kavitha, among others, conspired with senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia, to secure favours in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor excise policy of the national capital.
Kavitha is alleged to be a part of a so-called South Group that paid “Rs 100 crore to the leaders of AAP” in exchange for favours related to the policy through businessman Vijay Nair.
On Monday, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kavitha, referred to section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and said that it allowed courts to grant interim relief to women accused in such cases despite the rigorous bail conditions under the Act. He also said that her 16-year-old son was currently writing his examinations and needed emotional support.
Advocate Zoheb Hossain, representing the Enforcement Directorate, said the exception under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was entitled to women who lacked agency. “It is not for a woman who is in public life and leading politician of the state,” he said.
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