By Express News Service
NEW DELHI/ HYDERABAD: In a major development in the Delhi liquor policy scam case, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and MLC K Kavitha, who is also the daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, said she would be appearing before officials of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Saturday (March 11) in New Delhi.
Earlier in the day, after the ED had summoned her for questioning on Thursday, she had said she would seek legal counsel on appearing before the officials. Later in the day, in a letter to the ED, she said the summons against her in a hurried manner was part of political vendetta and wondered why the officials asked her to appear in person even though the agency could quiz her through video conferencing.
“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 (of postponing) seems to be motivated by reasons best known to you, which demonstrates that it is nothing but ‘political victimisation’,” she said in the letter.
The summons assumes significance as Arun Ramachandran Pillai, one of the key accused in the case, was arrested a day earlier. Former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia is also being questioned in judicial custody about the laundering of the proceeds of the kickbacks generated out of alleged corruption in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
She reportedly spoke to the CM over the phone before leaving for New Delhi in the evening for her protest programme. “Bharath Jagruthi, along with opposition parties and women’s organisations from across the country, will come together on March 10 at Jantar Mantar, for a one-day peaceful hunger strike, demanding the BJP government to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill,” she said.
“I would also like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, CM KCR, and against the entire BRS party will not deter us. Under the leadership of KCR, we will continue to fight to expose your failures and raise our voices for a brighter and better future for India. Let me also remind the power mongers in Delhi that Telangana never has and never will bow before the oppressive anti-people regime. We will fearlessly and fiercely fight for the rights of the people,” Kavitha said in a statement before leaving for the national capital.
READ HERE | Delhi liquor scam: K Kavitha summoned by ED; likely to skip due to political commitments
Sisodia questioned for six hours in jail
Meanwhile, ED officials questioned former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia inside the Tihar Jail for six hours while securing custody of Pillai on Tuesday. ED officials alleged that Pillai, a Hyderabad-based businessman, was involved in the tweaking of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22 at the formulation stage and one of the beneficiaries of kickback money which he laundered subsequently. He is currently being interrogated in ED custody as the agency secured his remand till March 13.
According to ED, Pillai was the 32.5 per cent owner of a front in which MLC Kavitha had a substantial stake. He was the representative of the ‘South Group’ of liquor traders and was a direct beneficiary of the kickback money, which he also laundering subsequently, they said. The ‘South Group’ comprises prominent persons and politicians including Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta, Sharath Reddy of Aurobindo Pharma and Kavitha. Pillai, ED alleged, received the kickback money amounting to several crores.
The ED, in January, has already attached several movable and immovable properties worth `5.72 crore belonging to Pillai and his wife in Hyderabad and other places as part of its action to recover the government money which was allegedly generated as kickback and laundered in the Delhi excise policy scam. In January, the ED moved to freeze properties estimated to be worth around `76. 54 crore belonging to various accused involved in the scam.
The scam which allegedly took shape due to planned tweaks in the excise policy to benefit liquor cartels, politicians and government officials is being probed by both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for money laundering and corruption, respectively.
NEW DELHI/ HYDERABAD: In a major development in the Delhi liquor policy scam case, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and MLC K Kavitha, who is also the daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, said she would be appearing before officials of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Saturday (March 11) in New Delhi.
Earlier in the day, after the ED had summoned her for questioning on Thursday, she had said she would seek legal counsel on appearing before the officials. Later in the day, in a letter to the ED, she said the summons against her in a hurried manner was part of political vendetta and wondered why the officials asked her to appear in person even though the agency could quiz her through video conferencing.
“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 (of postponing) seems to be motivated by reasons best known to you, which demonstrates that it is nothing but ‘political victimisation’,” she said in the letter.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The summons assumes significance as Arun Ramachandran Pillai, one of the key accused in the case, was arrested a day earlier. Former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia is also being questioned in judicial custody about the laundering of the proceeds of the kickbacks generated out of alleged corruption in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
She reportedly spoke to the CM over the phone before leaving for New Delhi in the evening for her protest programme. “Bharath Jagruthi, along with opposition parties and women’s organisations from across the country, will come together on March 10 at Jantar Mantar, for a one-day peaceful hunger strike, demanding the BJP government to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill,” she said.
“I would also like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, CM KCR, and against the entire BRS party will not deter us. Under the leadership of KCR, we will continue to fight to expose your failures and raise our voices for a brighter and better future for India. Let me also remind the power mongers in Delhi that Telangana never has and never will bow before the oppressive anti-people regime. We will fearlessly and fiercely fight for the rights of the people,” Kavitha said in a statement before leaving for the national capital.
READ HERE | Delhi liquor scam: K Kavitha summoned by ED; likely to skip due to political commitments
Sisodia questioned for six hours in jail
Meanwhile, ED officials questioned former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia inside the Tihar Jail for six hours while securing custody of Pillai on Tuesday. ED officials alleged that Pillai, a Hyderabad-based businessman, was involved in the tweaking of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22 at the formulation stage and one of the beneficiaries of kickback money which he laundered subsequently.
He is currently being interrogated in ED custody as the agency secured his remand till March 13.
According to ED, Pillai was the 32.5 per cent owner of a front in which MLC Kavitha had a substantial stake. He was the representative of the ‘South Group’ of liquor traders and was a direct beneficiary of the kickback money, which he also laundering subsequently, they said. The ‘South Group’ comprises prominent persons and politicians including Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta, Sharath Reddy of Aurobindo Pharma and Kavitha. Pillai, ED alleged, received the kickback money amounting to several crores.
The ED, in January, has already attached several movable and immovable properties worth `5.72 crore belonging to Pillai and his wife in Hyderabad and other places as part of its action to recover the government money which was allegedly generated as kickback and laundered in the Delhi excise policy scam. In January, the ED moved to freeze properties estimated to be worth around `76. 54 crore belonging to various accused involved in the scam.
The scam which allegedly took shape due to planned tweaks in the excise policy to benefit liquor cartels, politicians and government officials is being probed by both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for money laundering and corruption, respectively.
