Delhi Liquor Scam: CBI Quizzes Telangana CM KCR’s Daughter Kavitha For 7.5 Hours

A team of CBI sleuths on Sunday interrogated Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter and a member of legislative council (MLC) K Kavitha here in connection with the ‘Delhi excise policy scam’ and recorded her statement.

The officials, who arrived at 11 am, left her residence at 6.30 pm. The city police beefed up security near her residence.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had last week informed Kavitha that a team from the premier investigating agency would visit her residence in the city on 11 December for examination.

Kavitha, who has been served a notice by the CBI for recording her statement in connection with the case, recently said she will be able to meet the officials from 11-15 December (except for 13th).

The probe agency issued the notice under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and asked her to intimate the place of residence as per her convenience for the ‘examination’ at 11 am on that day.

Under Section 160 of CrPC, the investigating officer can summon any person as witness in a particular case.

After her name cropped up in a remand report filed by the Enforcement Directorate in a Delhi court on the alleged kickbacks in the scam, Kavitha had said she was ready to face any probe.

The CBI on 25 November filed its first charge sheet in the case against seven accused.

“As per the investigation carried out so far, Vijay Nair, on behalf of leaders of AAP has received kickbacks to the tune of at least Rs 100 crore from a group, called South Group (controlled by Sarath Reddy, Ms K Kavitha, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy) by various persons including Amit Arora," the ED had said in the remand report filed on one of the accused — Amit Arora — in a Delhi Court.

While seeking the remand of businessman Amit Arora in the Delhi liquor scam, the ED told the Court that the magnitude of the destruction is such that most suspects, liquor barons, senior government officials, the Excise Minister of Delhi and other suspects have changed their phones multiple times.

According to the investigative agency the approximate value of the devices used and destroyed has been to the tune of Rs 1.38 crore approximately.

Delhi liquor scam

The Delhi government faces allegations of granting licences to certain dealers favoured by liquor traders in lieu of the monetary benefit.

It was further alleged that irregularities were committed including in modifications in Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the licensee, waiver/reduction in licence fee, extension of L-1 licence without approval and so on.

Few weeks back, a sting video of Amit Arora,  a close aide of Deputy Chief Minister and Delhi's Excise Minister, Manish Sisodia, talking about the intricacies of the liquor scam, came to the surface. In the video Amit is explaining the manner in which a new Delhi Excise Policy was formulated by liquor barons and private businessmen, including AAP's communication in charge, Vijay Nair.

In the video, he points to a skewed liqour policy that was meant to remove competition in Delhi's liquor market and turn Delhi into an export hub of liquor at the expense of public exchequer.

Implication on Telangana politics

Since many months, Telangana BJP leaders have alleged that the ruling BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samiti, formerly TRS) government has done numerous scams to the tune of several thousands of crore.

Delhi liquor scam and the involvement of KCR’s daughter Kavita in it has turned into an opportunity for state BJP leaders to strengthen their allegations.

While BRS leaders allege this as a vendetta case to malign the ruling family, BJP leaders have termed it as ‘just a beginning’ with more scams getting unearthed in the coming months.

Political analysts in the state have said that BJP high command may be following a cautious approach while dealing with the members of KCR’s family to avoid giving any chance for BRS to rake up Telangana regional sentiment and victimhood.

On a whole, the recent IT raids and ED cases on ministers and legislators of BRS has dented the image of state government. Analysts believe that BJP may use more such opportunities to turn ‘neutral’ voters and moderate supporters of the state government against the ruling BRS.

(With inputs from PTI)