In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that more than ₹1,100 crore was laundered in the Delhi excise scam, with BRS leader K Kavitha purportedly linked to proceeds of crime worth ₹292.8 crore.
According to the ED, these allegations surfaced in a supplementary charge sheet filed against Kavitha before a court in New Delhi. The charge sheet, equivalent to a charge sheet in regular criminal proceedings, was submitted before Special Judge Kaveri Beweja.
Kavitha’s judicial custody was extended until July 3 by the court after she was produced before it following a production warrant. The warrant was issued in response to the court’s earlier order, which took cognizance of a charge sheet filed against Kavitha on May 29.
Additionally, the court granted bail to three co-accused individuals, namely Prince, Damodar, and Arvind Singh, who were charged without being arrested during the investigation.
The ED’s charge sheet alleges that Kavitha was involved in generating proceeds of crime amounting to ₹292.8 crore, including kickbacks of ₹100 crore to certain A leaders. It further claims that she participated in the conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks through a middleman, Vijay Nair.
Moreover, the charge sheet accuses Kavitha of participating in the formation of IndoSpirits, a company implicated in the case, to conceal her involvement in the scam and project illicit proceeds as legitimate profits.
The report also alleges that Kavitha destroyed digital evidence, including deleting data from her mobile phones, and attempted to influence witnesses. She is currently in judicial custody in connection with two cases filed by the ED and the CBI related to the alleged scam.
The case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which was subsequently revoked.
Kavitha was arrested by the ED from her residence in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, on March 15, and later apprehended by the CBI from Tihar jail.
