Kavitha to be in CBI custody till Monday

New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday sent BRS leader K Kavitha to CBI custody till April 15 in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja passed the order after hearing arguments of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as well as Kavitha's counsel. Kavitha, 46, was arrested by the CBI in Tihar jail, where she was lodged after her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, on Thursday.

The CBI, while seeking Kavitha's custody for five days, told the court that she was not cooperating in the investigation and was evasive in her replies. "During her questioning, she didn't give satisfactory replies regarding her role. Her replies were contrary to the documents recovered by the CBI during the investigation. Kavitha is concealing facts which are exclusively in her knowledge. Earlier also she did not join the investigation despite summons (being issued to her). So, we need her five days' custodial remand to unearth the conspiracy," the CBI said.

Advocate Nitesh Rana, Kavitha's counsel, opposed the CBI's plea and termed the arrest illegal. He further accused the probe agency of violating Kavitha's fundamental rights. He told the court that the CBI arrested Kavitha while an application filed by her opposing the agency's plea to interrogate her in judicial custody was already pending before the court.

Dinesh Arora, an accused-turned-approver in the case, has confirmed in his statement that accused Abhishek Boinpally informed him that Rs 100 crore was given to co-accused and former AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair, the CBI claimed. The central probe agency also told the court that it has recorded the statements of hawala operators in the case that confirm certain payments in the case. "Licences were given to company Indospirits even after being blacklisted due to the pressure of accused Manish Sisodia," the CBI claimed.

The remand petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged that she had threatened Sharat Chandra Reddy of Aurobindo Pharma and MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy which eventually led to the company paying Rs 80 lakh as donation to her cultural organisation Jagruti.

The remand report further said that Kavitha had threatened Sharat Chandra Reddy that if he does not have a land deal, he cannot run his business in Telangana. It has alleged that agreements and registration papers were prepared showing purchase of agricultural land, which never existed.

It is said that in the name of a fake land deal, Kavitha had received Rs 14 crore from Sharat Chandra Reddy. It is alleged that Kavitha had threatened and demanded Rs 50 crore from Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy. The CBI has said that Magunta has paid Rs 25 crore through his son Magunta Raghava Reddy.