Supreme Court Rejects Bail Plea of K. Kavitha, Advises Trial Court Approach
In a setback for Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA K. Kavitha, the Supreme Court declined to entertain her plea for bail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. The three-judge Bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna directed Ms. Kavitha, represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, to seek bail from the trial court instead. Justice Khanna emphasized that bypassing statutory routes wasn’t permissible merely due to political or financial influence. The apex court issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a writ petition filed by Ms. Kavitha seeking to quash her arrest.
Her case was tagged with other petitions challenging the ED’s sweeping powers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, scheduled for likely listing in July 2024. Ms. Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana CM K. Chandrashekar Rao, was remanded in ED custody till March 23. She has contested the legality of her arrest, alleging it to be arbitrary, unconstitutional, and violative of legal procedures. Despite receiving protection from coercive action earlier, the ED alleges her involvement in a liquor cartel and payment of kickbacks to Delhi’s AAP government. Ms. Kavitha maintains innocence, arguing coercion in obtaining statements against her, and challenges the ED’s summons as intimidation tactics, highlighting procedural violations.