MLC K Kavitha leader of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) moved the Supreme Court on Monday challenging her arrest in a money-laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy irregularities matter.
The ED team arrested her on Friday in Hyderabad and was later brought to Delhi. She was arrested after a day-long questioning followed by a raid at her residence.
Earlier on March 16, the Rouse Avenue Court sent Kavitha to custodial remand until March 23, 2024.
Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari, along with Advocate Nitesh Rana, appeared for the K Kavitha before the court. Advocates Wajeeh Shafiq, Anuj Tiwari and Deepak Nagar also appeared for accused K Kavitha in the matter. However, Special ED Counsel Zoheb Hossain and Special Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta appeared for the Enforcement Directorate.
Chaudhari argued that this arrest was a blatant abuse of power. They have clearly violated the Supreme Court orders, which have protected us. He further stated that, as per the law, there is a stay on her arrest until March 19.
He also added that the vindictiveness and malafide on the part of the Enforcement Directorate are further writ large from the fact that despite the pendency of the issue/prayer before the Supreme Court that the mobile phones of the petitioner could not have been seized, leading to invasion of the right to privacy, the officers have gone ahead and at the time of the purported search on March 15, 2024.
In the arrest order, the concerned ED investigation officer said, “I believe that Kalvakuntla Kavitha, w/o DR Anil Kumar, residing in Hyderabad, Telengana-500034, has been guilty of an offence punishable under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (15 of 2003).”
“Now, therefore, in the exercise of the power conferred upon me under subsection (1) of Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (915 of 2003), I hereby arrest the said Kalvakuntla Kavitha at 05.20 pm on 15.03.2024 and she has been informed of the grounds for her arrest. A copy of the grounds of arrest (containing 14 pages) has been served upon her.”
The action comes almost two months after the ED issued a summons to the 45-year-old daughter of former Telangana CM and BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao.
She was questioned three times in this case last year and the central agency recorded her statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). She was asserted in the past that she had done nothing wrong and alleged that the BJP-led central government was “using” the ED as the BJP could not gain “backdoor entry” into Telangana. Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation had also questioned Kavitha in this case. The ED case of money laundering was filed with cognizance of the CBI FIR.
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