Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC and daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Kalvakuntla Kavitha, walked out of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office after nearly nine hours of questioning in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case. Kavitha arrived at the ED office amid heavy presence of police and palamilitary personnel on the morning of Saturday, March 11. Questioning began around 11.15 am, and Kavitha left the ED office around 8.10 pm. She has been asked to return for another round of questioning on March 16.
ED officials also seized Kavitha's phone. The MLC's driver was reportedly sent to the place she was residing at, to bring her mobile phone and hand it over to the agency. The ED had summoned Kavitha for questioning following the arrest of Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandra Pillai earlier on March 6. On Saturday, ED officials reportedly questioned Kavitha and Arun Pillai together.
Kavitha's husband D Anil Kumar had accompanied her to the ED’s office on Saturday morning. In a show of solidarity, many BRS supporters gathered in large numbers at the place where Kavitha was residing before Kavitha headed to the ED office.
According to the ED, the South Group – controlled by Kavitha, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and Aurobindo Pharma's P Sarat Chandra Reddy, among others – gave kickbacks of nearly Rs 100 crore to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders to gain control over the liquor business in Delhi. This huge sum was allegedly used by the AAP in the Goa Assembly elections. The ED has alleged that the South Group was represented by Hyderabad-based businessmen Arun Pillai and Abhishek Boinpalli, and Kavitha’s former Chartered Accountant Butchibabu Gorantla.
On March 6, the ED arrested Arun after questioning him for several hours. The ED then used the confession of Arun Pillai, who was allegedly Kavitha’s ‘benami’ or proxy and represented her business interests, to issue summons asking Kavitha to appear before it on March 9. However, Kavitha cited various commitments and responded saying she would appear for her deposition on March 11.
In a fresh development, Arun has since alleged that his statement to the ED was made due to coercion. On Friday, March 10, a day before Kavitha’s meeting with the ED, Arun approached the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi, appealing to withdraw the confession statement which implicated Kavitha in the case.
When the ED issued summons to Kavitha on March 9, the former Nizamabad MP said that she would fully cooperate with the agency, but also alleged that the investigation was “politically motivated.” Kavitha was earlier questioned in connection with the case by the CBI in December 2022, however, she has not yet been named as an accused.
In a statement issued after receiving the ED summons, Kavitha said, "I fail to understand as to why I have been summoned at such a short notice. It seems that certain political motives have been masquerading in the name of investigation.”
On Friday, Kavitha led a protest in Delhi demanding that the Union government table the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Parliament. While the Congress did not participate in the protest despite an invitation extended by Kavitha, several other opposition parties turned up at the protest site at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in a show of solidarity with the BRS leader. On the same day, CM KCR also held a joint meeting of the BRS Parliamentary Party, Legislature Party and the state Executive at Telangana Bhavan, the BRS headquarters in Hyderabad.