According to sources, the Enforcement Directorate summoned K Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, on Thursday to record her statement in connection with its ongoing investigation into the Delhi excise policy case.
Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti (BRS) MLC Kavitha is said to have been asked to depose before the investigators here at ED headquarters and record her statement.
In December of last year, Kavitha, a member of the Telangana Legislative Council, was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the same case.
The ED filed its first chargesheet in the case last year. The agency stated that it has conducted nearly 200 search operations in this case since filing an FIR after taking cognizance of a CBI case that was registered on the recommendation of the Delhi lieutenant governor.
According to officials, the CBI investigation was recommended based on the findings of the Delhi chief secretary’s report filed in July, which showed prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010.
Following the arrest of Sameer Mahendru, Managing Director of Delhi’s Jor Bagh-based liquor distributor Indospirit Group, in the case, the ED raided nearly three dozen locations in Delhi and Punjab in October and later arrested him.
Early this week, the CBI also filed its first charge sheet in the case.
The ED and the CBI claimed that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval. The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.
According to the allegations, the Excise Department had decided to refund the Earnest Money Deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules. Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19.
This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
Will not be cowed down by ED summons: Kavitha
Following the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate to appear before it in Delhi on March 9, BRS MLC K Kavitha on Wednesday declared that she would not get cowed down by the intimidation tactics of the BJP government at the Centre. She also said that as a law-abiding citizen, she would continue to fully cooperate with the investigation agencies probing into the Delhi excise policy case.
However, due to the Dharna and scheduled appointments, the BRS legislator has decided to seek legal advice on the date of attending the ED for questioning.
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