K. Kavitha
By G Krishna Mohan Rao*
New Delhi: K Kavitha, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader and a Member of the Telangana Legislative Council, who is the daughter of Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao( KCR), today deposed before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) connected with Delhi liquor scam case. After about 9 hours long questioning today, the ED decided to grill her further again on March 16, 2023. Top sources said that the ED under Prevention of Money Laundering Act(PMLA) section 50, took written submissions and answers from Kavitha during the interrogation.
The ED questioning began amid speculation that the central agency may arrest her at any time in the liquor scam. Since morning, there was a huge gathering of the BRS’s supporters at the ED office amidst tight security and a tense situation. In fact, Kavitha was summoned to the ED office after she took part in a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi yesterday demanding the tabling and passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the current session of Parliament.
It may be recalled that the ED has already arrested Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandran Pillai who is accused by the agency of being a benami of Kavitha. The ED has made serious charges that Kavitha has been a beneficiary of kickbacks in the Delhi liquor scam. The businessman Ramchandra Pillai was stated to be a partner in a company called Robin Distilleries LLP and the ED had said that he ‘represented the south group’, an alleged liquor cartel linked to Kavitha and others.
Pillai is also linked to arrested liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru, his wife Geetika Mahendru and their Indospirit Group. The ED has questioned Pillai at least 11 times since September last year but arrested him on Monday, claiming he was “ evasive and not cooperating” in the probe. The ED is of the strong view that Arun Ramchandra Pillai along with others conspired with AAP leaders and others for facilitating kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crores.
It is also alleged that the AAP spent that Rs. 100 crores towards assembly elections in Punjab and Goa last year and the money was said to be arranged from Hyderabad. It is learnt that the ED has gathered evidence of AAP leaders including the arrested deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia having consultations with the Hyderabad-based liquor cartel -south group, consisting Pillai and others.
Ever since the summons from ED, Kavitha and her party leaders have described the ED summons as the “[Prime Minister Narendra] Modi summons”, saying that the questioning by the ED is taking place at the behest of their political masters. Reacting to ED summons, the BRS supremo KCR asserted that their party would continue its fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s harassment of their party Ministers, MPs and MLCs by implicating them with fake allegations. KCR reiterated that their party struggle would continue till the saffron party is ousted from power at the Centre.
On the other hand, the BJP leaders are saying that Kavitha will be arrested in the liquor scam because of her apparent role. BJP Telangana President Bandi Sanjay said a few days ago that the leaders were raising a hue and cry on the arrest of the Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia because they knew well that Kavitha would also be arrested soon.
*Senior journalist.
