Supreme Court extends protection to BRS leader Kavitha from coercive action by ED

Supreme Court extends protection to K. Kavitha in money laundering case related to Delhi excise policy scam.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, extended till March 13 the protection it had granted to Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K. Kavitha from any coercive action in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. A bench comprising justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal extended the operation of its earlier order and said the matter will now be taken up for further hearing on March 13.

The ED had issued summons to the BRS leader on February 21 seeking her presence on February 26. However, Ms. Kavitha did not appear before the probe agency.

The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Kavitha was a part of liquor cartel ‘The South Group’ which paid kickback of ₹100 crore to Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in return for favours under the now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.

The top court had on February 5 extended the protection to Ms. Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao.

She approached the apex court with an application seeking directions to restrain the Enforcement Directorate from calling her by way of a notice or summons under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) during the pendency of her petition.