Delhi Court extends K Kavitha's Enforcement Directorate custody till march 26

A Delhi court has extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of BRS leader K Kavitha, an accused in the Delhi excise policy money laundering case, until March 26. Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, stands accused of being a key member of the 'South Group,' allegedly involved in paying kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to the AAP in exchange for a significant share of liquor licenses in the national capital.

The ED sought an extension of Kavitha's custodial remand by five days, presenting evidence of her involvement in the case. She was interrogated and confronted with statements from four individuals during the investigation. Additionally, a forensic report revealing the formatting of her mobile phone data was presented, indicating potential evidence tampering. Kavitha's nephew, Meka Saran, was also implicated, with the ED alleging his involvement in the transfer or utilization of proceeds of crime.

Despite attempts to obtain information from Kavitha and her family regarding their business details and finances, the ED stated that no cooperation was received. Furthermore, the agency has moved an application for further interrogation of Sameer Mahendru to ascertain Kavitha's role in recent findings.

During the proceedings, Kavitha's advocate filed a bail plea, which the ED opposed, citing ongoing investigations. The court opted to defer a decision on the bail plea until the next hearing.

Kavitha, a member of the Telangana Legislative Council, was arrested by the ED from her residence in Hyderabad on March 15. The court's decision extends her custody as investigations into the alleged money laundering case continue.