K Kavitha, after 10-hour ED grilling, reiterates political witch hunt claim

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha ahead of the third round of questioning today in the Delhi Liquor policy case, accused she was a victim of a political witch hunt. BRS MLC also said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is acting under political pressure. Notably, the central agency questioned her for over 10 hours in the now scrapped Delhi Liquor policy case yesterday. 

The BRS MLC was made to sit alone in the room where she was interrogated for hours. The legislator repeatedly claimed her innocence and that she was being politically targeted on the directions of the ruling party at the Centre, according to sources. Notably, K Kavitha appeared before the central agency for the second round of questioning yesterday. 

Kavitha asks for evidence of her involvement

Sources disclosed that Kavitha asked for concrete information from ED on the basis of her involvement in the Delhi Liquor policy case but the central agency decided against providing her with a brief on why she was being interrogated. Interestingly, the ED officials had conceded that she was not called in for questioning as an ‘accused person’. It was revealed during the questioning when Kavitha asked whether she was probed acting as an ‘accused’ or a ‘Witness’.

Following an appeal from Kavitha, the central agency officials had to arrange for audio and video recording of her questioning process. Throughout the 11-hour questioning on Monday, the ED officials reportedly posed 14 questions to Kavitha and she answered them all. It's important to recall ED has alleged Liquor cartel, known as ‘South Group’ linked to the BRS MLC K Kavitha had paid kickbacks amounting to about Rs 100 crore to AAP to procure more liquor business in the national capital under the now scrapped new excise policy 2020-21.  

Though some officials had earlier leaked information to a section of media that the BRS legislator will be confronted with several other accused persons in the case, it is now confirmed that she was kept alone in a room for many hours and had no confrontation with any of the accused in the case. The officials are learned to have arrived nearly one hour after she reached the ED office to record her statement. 

According to reports, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Kavitha asked the ED officials if they found any incriminating evidence from the phone seized from her. She also asked about the reason for the central agency’s hurry to question her, despite a pending plea filed by her scheduled for hearing in the Supreme court on March 24.