HYDERABAD: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha will appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials today in Delhi for the second time in connection with the Delhi liquor policy scam. The MLC, who appeared before the agency on March 11, was questioned for nearly nine hours.
Kavitha, who is facing serious allegations, is likely to be quizzed in front of Arun Ramachandra Pillai and Gorantla Buchi Babu on Thursday. The twist in the tale was that Pillai beat a retreat and sought permission from the Rouse Avenue District Court in Delhi to withdraw his statement to the ED.
Sources said that Thursday’s questioning is important as it would shed more light on operations of the entire ‘South Group’. Officials hope to uncover details such as how they managed officials, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and other stakeholders. Agency sources stated that their technical team has retrieved the data relating to chats from MLC Kavitha’s WhatsApp and Signal with Pillai and her former auditor Buchi Babu.
The ED wants to know the MLC’s role and money trail, and the source of money which was paid as a bribe to AAP leaders. The agency collected several articles of material evidence about how money was moved through the hawala route from Hyderabad to Delhi in which the ED suspects Kavitha had a role.
Buchi Babu, who worked for Kavitha, looked after the movement of money through several channels into Indo Spirit and other companies where they bagged licences in several important zones. The ED officials are likely to question the MLC about benami transactions that took place with Indo Spirit by Pillai. The ED has already arrested Magunta Raghu in Delhi for his involvement in the ‘South Group’.
Meanwhile, BRS workers are on the edge over what lies in store for Kavitha on Thursday. On the first day of grilling on March 11, party cadres gathered in huge numbers near the ED’s office to lend moral support to her.
If there are any indications of arrest, BRS leaders are ready to catch the first available flight to Delhi to express solidarity with her. ED sources said that there was no possibility of arresting her as they were still connecting the dots in the investigation of the case. A lot would depend on the depositions of Pillai and the other accused in the case.