'Delhi Excise policy scam larger conspiracy by Centre,' BRS MLC K Kavitha moves SC against ED's summons

She claimed the ED is eliciting false statements from other witnesses by threatening to place them and their family members under arrest

BRS MLC and Telangana Chief Minister's daughter K Kavitha has approached the Supreme Court against a summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate for Thursday in liquor scam related to now scrapped Delhi excise policy.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha declined an immediate hearing on her plea and fixed it on March 24.

Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhari, appearing for Kavitha, contended that she had earlier appeared before the ED on March 7 but the repeated summons was contrary to law because the petitioner was a woman.

She claimed the Enforcement Directorate is eliciting false statements from other witnesses by threatening to place them and their family members under arrest.

Read | 'True colours': BRS mocks BJP with posters showing leaders washed 'saffron clean' after 'raids'

"The Petitioner verily believes that the investigation against her is nothing more than a fishing expedition being undertaken solely at the behest of the incumbent ruling political party. The Enforcement Directorate, in teeth of settled law, summoned her to appear before their offices in New Delhi and has confiscated her cellular phone without any written order," her plea claimed.

She apprehended that she would be physically and mentally coerced by the Enforcement Directorate.

"There is no case against the petitioner. The only basis on which the petitioner has been implicated is on basis of certain statements of few persons who have given incriminating statements qua themselves as well as allegedly against the petitioner. However, such statements have been extracted out of threat and coercion, which is evident from the fact that on March 10, 2023, one Arun Ramachandran Pillai, has retracted his statement," her plea said.

Also Read | CBI had to obey political masters: Kejriwal on Sisodia's arrest

Kavitha accused the ED of acting in "extremely shameful" manner and as per a "larger conspiracy orchestrated at the behest of the members of the incumbent ruling party at the Center".

She pointed out that a remand application of one of the accused containing the contact details of the petitioner got leaked to the media and the public.

"Such act is petty, illegal, and an unfortunate reflection upon the malicious conduct of the ED in consonance with the political party in power at Center," she alleged.

Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, along with a number of accused had already been arrested in the case.

Kavitha had earlier been questioned by the CBI in the case.

It was alleged Kavitha held a benami investment in Indospiritis, a liquor firm involved in the scam. ED alleged Arun Ramachandran Pillai represented Kavitha in Indospirits.

The agencies alleged the South lobby, which included Kavitha, bribed the AAP government to formulate an excise policy to facilitate the companies to win the bids and to form a cartel and control the retail outlets in Delhi. Kavitha invested money through her benamis and took back the money from the company later after getting the licenses, it was alleged.