NEW DELHI: In a big relief to BRS leader K Kavitha, the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted her bail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. The order was delivered by a two-judge bench comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K.V. Viswanathan.The bench held that the Delhi High Court’s decision, which had denied bail on the grounds of statutory provisions related to women’s bail, was flawed and needed to be overturned.The Supreme Court stated, “The Delhi High Court order that statutory provisions for relaxation of bail to a woman cannot be granted solely because she is educated and independent is perverse and has to be quashed.”As part of its ruling, the apex court directed Kavitha to submit bail bonds of Rs 10 lakh each in both cases. She must also surrender her passport, refrain from tampering with evidence or influencing proceedings, and cooperate with the trial. The court emphasised that its decision should not be construed as an observation on the merits of the case or an attempt to influence the trial outcome.The Supreme Court’s decision follows a detailed response sought from the CBI and ED on August 12 regarding Kavitha’s bail plea.Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, representing Kavitha, had argued that she had been in custody for over five months “She is entitled for bail. This is covered by lordships judgments in Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia case,” Rohatgi pleaded to the apex court bench.Kavitha’s appeal to the Supreme Court came after the Delhi High Court rejected her bail petition on July 1. The High Court, presided over by Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, found no merit in her plea and dismissed it.Earlier, on May 6, the Special Judge of CBI and ED cases, Judge Kaveri Baweja, had also rejected Kavitha’s bail application, citing sufficient material against her.Kavitha was initially arrested by the ED on March 15 from her residence in Hyderabad. Subsequently, she was taken into custody by the CBI on April 11 in relation to the same case.The BRS leader, who is the daughter of Telangana’s former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, has maintained her innocence, alleging that her arrest was a misuse of power.The central agencies, CBI and ED, have accused Kavitha of involvement in bribery and money laundering related to the Delhi Excise Policy. They allege that she was part of a “South Group” that paid substantial kickbacks to the ruling AAP in exchange for favorable liquor licensing in the capital.The trial court had previously cited concerns about Kavitha potentially influencing witnesses and interfering with the investigation as reasons for denying bail. The ED had argued that Kavitha’s release could lead to further tampering with evidence and witness manipulation.
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