Delhi Excise Policy Case: ‘Will Appear On March 11,’ KCR's Daughter Kavitha Writes To ED

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter Kavitha has cited prior commitments to seek that her questioning by the ED is deferred.

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha has written to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that she will appear before the agency on March 11 in the Delhi excise policy case. Kavitha has written the letter in response to the notice issued by the ED asking her to appear before it on March 9.  The daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had apparently requested for a week`s time to appear but the ED rejected her request, and subsequently, she sent another letter. A statement in this regard was issued from Kavitha`s office late Wednesday night.

 "I being a responsible Indian citizen and as a woman of this nation, wish to exercise my rights provided under the law," she wrote.

 "Further, I fail to understand as to why I have been summoned at such short notice. It seems that certain political motives have been masquerading in the name of investigation. I categorically say that I have nothing to do with the present investigation. As stated, being a social worker and having prior commitments, I had already planned my schedule for the upcoming week, and the abrupt rejection of my request seems to be motivated by reasons best known to you, which demonstrates that it is nothing but political victimisation," Kavitha said.

 "However, without prejudice to my rights and contentions available in law as well as equity, being a true and law-abiding citizen of this country, I will appear at your good offices on 11.03.2023, as adamantly directed by you in the teeth of the laws mentioned hereinabove," she added.

Kavitha, who left for Delhi on Wednesday evening, is scheduled to lead a day-long protest in Delhi on March 10 against the delay in passing the women`s reservation bill by the Parliament.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in Hyderabad for over seven hours on December 12. The CBI contends that liquor companies were involved in the framing of the 2021 excise policy of Delhi, for which kickbacks to the tune of Rs 30 crore were paid by a liquor lobby it dubbed the "South Cartel".

The Central investigation agencies have alleged that Kavitha is part of the "South Cartel" that benefited from the kickbacks in the now-withdrawn liquor policy of Delhi, in which Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia has also been arrested.

She has been called so that she can be confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandran Pillai, an alleged frontman of the "South Cartel," who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate earlier this week, reported news agency Press Trust of India, quoting sources. Kavitha's former accountant has been arrested in the case.