The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to K. Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Member of Legislative Council, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
Ms. Kavitha, who has reportedly been asked to present herself before the probe team on Friday, has termed the move a political vendetta. The agency had previously summoned her in March.
The BRS MLC told mediapersons that the ED notice to her was like a “TV serial” and one sent on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ms. Kavitha said there was nothing much to read about it and added that her legal team would handle the issue. “The notice [issue] has been running like a TV serial for the last one year. They are trying to release one more episode as Assembly elections are round the corner,” she said.
She said even the 2G scam did not drag for so long. “People are not taking these notices seriously anymore. Whichever State is going to polls, such a style of action against the Opposition parties is expected from the BJP,” she remarked.
Ms. Kavitha said the BJP and the Congress parties were afraid of the growing popularity of the Telangana Chief Minister and asserted that he was going to return to power for the third time.
In March, a representative of Ms. Kavitha had appeared before the agency, to facilitate extraction of data from the mobile phones deposited by her.
The ED has alleged that Hyderabad-based liquor businessman and co-accused Arun Ramchandra Pillai had represented the interests of Ms. Kavitha. He along with another accused, businessman Abhishek Boinpally, and chartered accountant Butchibabu Gorantla acted as a front for the “South Group” that was extended favours under the erstwhile excise policy, the ED says.
As alleged, Mr. Pillai had a 32.5% stake in Indo Spirits, which had got a wholesale liquor licence. The firm was a partnership among Mr. Pillai, Prem Rahul (32.5% stake) and Indospirit Distribution Limited (35%), where he and Mr. Rahul allegedly represented the “benami” investments of Ms. Kavitha, and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta, respectively.
Mr. Pillai and others have been accused of planning to put in place a cartel of manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers which controlled over 30% of the liquor business in Delhi.
The Central Bureau of Investigation and the ED have alleged that the policy was modified to extend a high profit margin of 12% to wholesalers and close to 185% profit margin to retailers.
The ED had earlier alleged that the then Aam Aadmi Party communication and media in-charge Vijay Nair, on behalf of the party leaders, received about ₹100 crore in advance from the “South Group” whose prominent entities were Mr. Reddy, his son, Ms. Kavitha, and Aurobindo Pharma director P. Sarath Chandra Reddy.
