K Kavitha entering the Enforcement Directorate's office in Delhi
BRS leader K Kavitha, arrested from her Hyderabad home by the Enforcement Directorate last evening in the Delhi liquor policy case, was today presented at the Rose Avenue court in the national capital. Terming her arrest illegal, the BRS leader vowed to "fight it out".
After landing in the Delhi around midnight, she was taken to the agency's office, where medical tests were done.
The agency is seeking remand for custodial interogation of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's daughter. In court, the agency argued that they have enough evidence to arrest and interrogate the leaader.
K Kavitha's lawyer, though, told the court that this is a "classic case of abuse".
Reacting to her arrest, Ms Kavitha's brother and former Telangana minister KT Rama Rao in a post on X said, "Abuse of power and institutional misuse to settle political scores is something that has become increasingly common with BJP government in last 10 years. ED needs to answer the Supreme Court on the inordinate rush to arrest when the matter is very much sub-judice and up for review in a couple of days, on the 19th of March. What's even more appalling is the ED undermining its own undertaking given to the Hon'ble Supreme Court. Justice shall prevail and we will continue to fight legally."
The financial probe agency on Friday took Telangana's Legislative Council Member K Kavitha, 46, in custody in a dramatic arrest and hours-long raid at her premises in Hyderabad in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
Ms Kavitha was arrested pm from her Banjara Hills home in Hyderabad as hundreds of her supporters protested the agency action.
The arrest came weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and on a day the Congress government in the state completed 100 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also in Malkajgiri, a suburb in Hyderabad, where he held a massive roadshow.
The Supreme Court had granted the BRS leader immunity from interrogation till Wednesday and heard her petition against the agency's summons in the case on Friday. The next hearing will be on Tuesday.