More trouble brewing for Kavitha

New Delhi: More trouble seems to be mounting for the family of former chief minister K Chandarsekhar Rao as on the one hand the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday alleged that a nephew of BRS leader K Kavitha was ‘involved’ in the transfer of illicit funds or the proceeds of crime in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case and on the other, the Rouse Avenue court extended custody of Kavitha by another three days.

The central agency informed the Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court of Judge Kaweri Baweja that it conducted searches at the premises of the said relative, Meka Sri Saran, on Saturday after his role in this case came to the fore during the questioning of Kavitha over the last week. Kavitha was arrested by the ED on March 15 and she was produced before the court for extension of her custody on Saturday.

The court sent her to the agency’s custody till March 26. Amidst a ring of ED officials and police, Kavitha told reporters that “this was a fraud and wrong case...we are fighting. Arresting these many political leaders during elections is a wrong thing and the Election Commission should intervene and protect democracy in the country.” The ED has alleged that Kavitha was a key member of the ‘South Group’ that has been accused of paying the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged kickbacks of Rs 100 crore in return for a big share of liquor licences in the national capital, as part of the excise policy for 2021-22 which has was scrapped following allegations of corruption and cartelisation of liquor traders. The agency told the court in its remand extension papers for Kavitha that it seized a mobile device of Saran during searches at his house at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad on March 15. It informed the court that Saran was called twice for questioning but he “failed” to appear.