Delhi Excise Case: Court Extends Judicial Custody of BRS Leader K Kavitha Till July 3 - 2024-06-03

A Delhi court on Monday extended till July 3 the judicial custody of BRS leader K Kavitha in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja extended the custody after Kavitha was produced before the court in pursuance of its earlier order issuing a production warrant against her. The court had issued the warrants after taking cognisance of a charge sheet against the BRS leader in the case on May 29. The court also granted bail to three co-accused persons - Prince, Damodar and Arvind Singh . The three accused were charge sheeted without being arrested during investigation by the ED. Kavitha is in judicial custody in the two cases lodged by the ED and the CBI in the alleged scam. The "scam" pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped. The ED arrested Kavitha (46) from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15. The CBI arrested her from Tihar jail. The case has garnered significant attention, with the opposition BJP and the ruling AAP in Delhi engaged in a political slugfest over the issue. The investigation has also led to the arrest of several high-profile individuals, including Delhi 's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The extension of Kavitha 's judicial custody is the latest development in the ongoing legal proceedings related to the alleged excise scam. The case has raised questions about the role of political leaders and bureaucrats in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy, and the potential for corruption and money laundering in such processes. As the investigation continues, the legal and political implications of the case are likely to remain a subject of intense scrutiny and debate in the coming weeks and months.