Liquor scam: Delhi HC to pass order on K Kavitha's bail pleas tomorrow 

The Delhi High Court is likely to pronounce its order on the bail pleas of BRS leader K Kavitha on Monday. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who had reserved the order on Kavitha's two bail pleas on May 28, is scheduled to pass the verdict at 2:30 PM on July 1. Kavitha has challenged the trial court's order which dismissed her pleas in the corruption case and money laundering. 

Kavitha is facing a probe by the CBI (corruption) and ED (money laundering). Her lawyer had submitted that out of the 50 accused in the excise matter, she is the lone woman, and urged the court to consider granting her bail as the law keeps women on a different pedestal. The CBI and ED, however, had opposed the bail pleas, saying Kavitha was highly influential and powerful enough to influence witnesses. 

The agencies also countered the submission that she, being a woman, be released on bail. The agencies said that it was the woman who was playing the main role in the conspiracy in the alleged excise policy scam and she was an active politician and a member of the legislative council and cannot seek parity with vulnerable women. 

The CBI's counsel had argued that Kavitha was not just a woman but a very influential woman and was powerful enough to influence witnesses as one of the witnesses has even stated that he was threatened by her. The ED's counsel had also contended that Kavitha was a co-conspirator and a beneficiary of the excise scam and the proceeds of the crime were directly going to her. It had claimed that the politician, who was accused of a white-collar crime, was involved in the destruction of evidence and coercing people to retract their statements. 

The ED, in its reply to the bail plea, had opposed the bail plea saying that Kavitha's release would adversely affect further investigation to unearth the "deep-rooted, multi-layered conspiracy". The central probe agency also said that the Telangana lawmaker was a "highly influential" individual and stands accused of having committed a grave economic offence. She has the potential to tamper with evidence and influence witnesses, it had said. 

"K Kavitha has conspired with other people and actively involved in the payment of kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crore and then in establishing the money laundering ecosystem, that is, M/s Indo Spirits through her proxy which generated proceeds of crime of Rs 192.8 crore. By such acts, K Kavitha is involved in various processes and activities relating to proceeds of crime (POC) to the tune of Rs 292.8 crore," the probe agency said in its counter affidavit. 

The ED had said there was enough evidence to link her to the offence of money laundering. Kavitha is in judicial custody in the two cases lodged by the ED and the CBI. The ED arrested Kavitha from her residence in Hyderabad on March 15. The CBI arrested her from Tihar jail. 

In her bail plea in the ED case, the BRS leader has said she has "nothing to do" with the excise policy and there is a criminal conspiracy against her "orchestrated by the ruling party at the Centre with the active connivance of the ED".

(With inputs from PTI)