Kavitha leaves for Delhi, seeks time from ED till March 15
Hyderabad, March 8: K. Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in the Delhi excise policy case, left for New Delhi on Wednesday evening.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader was spotted at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here amid tight security to catch a flight for the national capital.
According to sources, Kavitha has written to the Enforcement Directorate seeking time till March 15 to appear before the agency for questioning in the Delhi liquor policy case. The ED is yet to comment on the matter.
Kavitha is one of the representatives of the 'South Group', which allegedly paid kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. She might be confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai, who was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, Kavitha's travel to Delhi is as per the schedule. She is planning to lead a day-long hunger strike in the national capital on Friday over delay in passing the women's reservation Bill.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, the Member of Legislative Council said in a statement that as a law-abiding citizen, she will fully cooperate with the investigating agencies.
She, however, said that in view of the planned dharna in Delhi over women's reservation Bill on Friday and other prefixed appointments, she will seek legal opinion on the date of appearing before the ED.
She also said that BJP's tactics of intimidation will not deter her.
"I would also like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, and against the entire BRS party will not deter us. Under the leadership of KCR, we will continue our fight to expose your failures and raise our voice for a brighter and better future for India," she said
"Let me also remind the power mongers in Delhi that Telangana has never and will never bow before the oppressive anti-people regime. We will fearlessly and fiercely fight for the rights of the people," she added.
The ED notice came a day after the agency arrested Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai, allegedly the frontman for Kavitha.
Kavitha was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the same case in December last year.
In the remand report filed in a Delhi court on Tuesday, the ED stated that Pillai is one of the key persons in the entire scam involving payments of huge kickbacks and formation of the biggest cartel of the South Group.
According to the agency, South Group comprises Sarath Reddy (promoter of Aurobindo Group), Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (MP Ongole), his son Raghav Magunta, K. Kavitha (MLC, Telangana) and others. The South Group was being represented by Arun Pillai, Abhishek Boinpalli and Butchi Babu.