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SC adjourns hearing on Kavitha’s bail pleas until Aug 27 in excise policy cases
A bench of justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan observed the high court had given elaborate reasons why she was not entitled to relief
The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned until August 27 the hearing on Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha’s bail pleas in the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped 2021-22 Delhi liquor policy.
Additional solicitor general SV Raju, appearing for both agencies said, the CBI has filed its affidavit while the ED affidavit was in the pipeline while seeking a week to file the counter affidavit.
The court issued notice on Kavitha’s bail plea on August 12 as it was inclined to take up bail pleas in both the CBI and ED cases together. It directed the ED to file its response by Thursday and allowed a day for Kavitha’s lawyers to file a reply. “We do not understand the tendency to file long counter affidavits. In the high court, just the case diary is produced and the matter decided.”
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Kavitha said, she is a co-accused in the same case in which former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was granted bail this month. “She is the only woman accused. She is entitled to the exception from the rigours of bail under Section 45 of PMLA [Prevention of Money Laundering Act] being a lady.”
A bench of justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan observed the high court has given elaborate reasons why she was not entitled to that relief while posting the matter for hearing next week. The Supreme Court refused to consider her prayer for interim bail until it heard both the CBI and ED.
The Delhi high court refused Kavitha bail on July 1 in both cases. Kavitha has been in jail for five months. She is accused of being part of the conspiracy in formulating the excise policy to benefit private liquor retailers.
The high court rejected her bail plea citing the statement of one of the accused Sharat Chandra Reddy, who later turned approver. Reddy’s company allegedly paid ₹80 lakh to her NGO Telangana Jagruthi after she allegedly gave an assurance to support his business in Delhi.
