Ending months of speculation, the Enforcement Directorate arrested K Kavitha, an MLC and daughter of Bharat Rashtra Samithi President K Chandrashekar Rao, on Friday evening under the provisions of the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) in the Delhi Excise policy case.
The arrest preceded searches and interrogation of the BRS leader at her Banjara Hills residence. “She is found guilty of offence of under the Section 3 of the PMLA, 2002, and punishable under Section 4 of the Act,” the ED said in the arrest memo.
Strongly criticising the searches and the arrest, BRS Working President and Kavitha’s brother K T Rama Rao alleged that the ED had violated its own statement made in the Supreme Court. “The ED assured the Supreme Court that it is not going to arrest Kavitha. How can you arrest her now? You are violating the statement you made in the Supreme Court,” Rama Rao said.
Asking the Investigating Officer how they could arrest her without obtaining a transit warrant, he alleged the ED deliberately arrested her on a Friday evening (to deny her time to approach the court for relief).
He, however, asked the party workers not to cause hurdles and said that they would address the issue legally and peacefully. After informing the family members, the ED officials were reportedly taking Kavitha to Delhi.
Political fallout
Kavitha’s arrest was waiting to happen. There was a huge anticipation of her arrest in the political circles days before the Assembly elections held late last year. In a dramatic turn of events exactly a year ago, she handed over a bagful of phones that she had used to the ED officials in Delhi.
Alleging that the ED deliberately leaked false information to the media that she had destroyed evidence (destroying her old phones), she alleged that the law-enforcing agency was trying to malign her image and surrendered a bunch of old phones.
In the campaign trial for the Assembly elections, the Opposition alleged that the ED had not arrested Kavitha because of a tacit understanding between the BRS and BJP.