[Liquor Excise Policy Case] Delhi High Court Denies Bail To K Kavitha

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Synopsis

Kavitha was accused of playing a pivotal role in the 'South Group,' which allegedly offered a bribe of Rs 100 crores to Aam Aadmi Party for liquor licenses, with suspicions that these funds were utilized for election campaigns in Goa and Punjab.

The Delhi High Court, on Monday, denied bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in the cases filed by the CBI and ED concerning the now-defunct liquor excise policy. Previously, on May 10, the court directed the ED to submit their response to K Kavitha's bail petition.

Previously, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued a notice to the ED and listed the matter for further adjudication. Kavitha's plea for bail was dismissed by Rouse Avenue Court on May 6, prompting her to escalate the matter to the High Court.

She was arrested by the ED on March 15 in Hyderabad. The genesis of the case against her and others implicated in the Delhi excise scandal traces back to 2022, with the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) by the CBI. This FIR contended that the Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-22 was tampered with to facilitate the monopolization and cartelization of Delhi's wholesale and retail liquor trade.