Delhi HC seeks CBI response to K Kavitha's bail plea in excise policy case; hearing scheduled for May 24

On the same day, the Supreme Court is also hearing Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the same case.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the stand of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on BRS leader K Kavitha's bail plea in a corruption case in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice to the CBI on the plea and listed the matter for further hearing on May 24 along another petition by Kavitha seeking bail in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) money laundering case.

The high court also issued notice and sought the CBI's response on another plea by Kavitha against a trial court order which allowed the probe agency to interrogate her in custody.

Kavitha is in judicial custody in both the cases lodged by the ED and the CBI in relation to the alleged scam. She was represented by senior advocate Vikram Chaudhari and lawyer Nitesh Rana.

Her bail application in the ED case is pending before the high court which has asked the agency to file its reply.

She had challenged the trial court's May 6 order by which her bail applications in the corruption case as well as the money laundering case were dismissed.

The 'scam' pertains to the alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped.

The ED arrested Kavitha (46) from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15, and she was in judicial custody in the case. The CBI arrested her from Tihar jail here.

In her bail plea in the ED case, the BRS leader has said she has 'nothing to do' with the excise policy and there is a criminal conspiracy against her "orchestrated by the ruling party at the Centre with the active connivance of the Enforcement Directorate".