No respite for Kavitha, the wait continues

BRS MLC and former Telangana CM KCR’s daughter Kavitha Kalvakuntla has been in custody for around five months now in connection with alleged corruption and money laundering cases filed by CBI and ED in connection with her conspiracy in the tainted Delhi Excise Policy. She was arrested on March 15th at her residence in Hyderabad.

As the High Court granted dismissed Kavitha’s bail pleas in both the cases, saying she was prima facie one of the main conspirators in the criminal conspiracy related to the formation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, Kavitha approached the Supreme Court for respite as both Aravind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were granted bail in the same case.

Unfortunately, the apex court on Monday sought responses from the CBI and ED on BRS leader K Kavitha’s pleas seeking bail in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam and didn’t immediately grant her bail. However, the bench of justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan agreed to hear Ms Kavitha’s pleas challenging the Delhi High Court’s July 1 verdict denying her bail in these cases.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Ms Kavitha, told the bench that she has been in custody for around five months and the chargesheet and prosecution complaint have been filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) respectively.

Contending that she was entitled to bail, Mr Rohatgi referred to the Supreme Court’s verdict and order passed on the pleas filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia.

As the Supreme Court sought the response of the two investigating agencies, the wait for Kavitha Kalvakuntla continues as she will need to spend some more time behind the bars before coming out on bail.