New Delhi/Hyderabad: Arrested Telangana MLC and BRS leader K. Kavitha, along with other associates, allegedly conspired with top Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia to get favours in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed.
The ED, probing the money trail of the alleged excise policy scam, claimed that Kavitha was involved in facilitating a payment of Rs. 100 crore to AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, in exchange of the favours. "The investigation suggests that this corruption scheme generated illicit funds in the form of kickback from wholesalers, benefiting AAP," an ED release said.
Additionally, Kavitha and her associates were allegedly involved in laundering the proceeds of crime and profiting from this conspiracy, the agency said.
The ED has searched 245 locations nationwide, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mumbai. In connection with the case, 15 individuals, including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Vijay Nair from AAP, have been arrested.
So far, the ED has filed one prosecution complaint and five supplementary complaints in the matter. Additionally, assets worth Rs 18.79 crore, believed to be proceeds of crime, have been traced and provisionally attached as per orders dated January 24, 2023, and July 3, 2023, which has been confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority in New Delhi, the release said.
The investigation was continuing with the authorities delving deeper into the intricate web of the alleged scam, ED said.
The ED took Kavitha into custody on March 15 regarding the case.
The Special PMLA Court in New Delhi has remanded Kavitha to ED custody for interrogation till March 23 as per an order dated March 16. Simultaneously, a search operation was conducted at Kavitha's residence in Hyderabad on the same day, during which ED officials faced obstruction from her relatives and associates.
