New Delhi: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, who was lodged in judicial custody in Tihar Jail in connection with corruption and money laundering cases related to the alleged excise policy scam, walked out of Tihar Jail late Tuesday evening after five months after she was granted bail by the Supreme Court in both the cases earlier in the day.
Kavitha was released from Tihar’s Jail number 6 where she was lodged for last five months
Kavitha (46), who was lodged in the Jail number 6 of the Tihar Jail for five months, was released late Tuesday evening after the formalities relating to her release were completed, jail officials said.
KT Rama Rao, Kavitha’s brother and working president of the BRS, and BRS workers and supporters were also present outside the Tihar Jail to welcome Kavitha’s release from the jail.
Kavitha was first arrested by ED from her Hyderabad house on March 15
Kavitha, who is the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was first arrested in the excise policy-linked money laundering case from her Hyderabad house by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 15 and later she was also arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the excise policy-linked corruption case from Tihar Jail on April 11.
Supreme Court granted Kavitha bail noting her custody was no longer required
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan granted bail to Kavitha in corruption and money laundering cases noting that her custody in cases was no longer required as the central agencies – CBI and ED – have completed their probe against her in both cases.
The top court bench also noted that there was no likelihood of the trial being concluded in the near future, as 493 witnesses were to be examined and 50,000 pages of documents were to be considered in both the cases.
The top court, while granting bail to Kavitha, questioned the central investigating agencies for its unfairness in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam probe and adopting a “pick and choose method” in making people accused or witnesses.
Special court issued release warrants for Kavitha following grant of bail by apex court
Following the grant of bail by the Supreme Court, a special court in the national capital later in the day issued release warrants for Kavitha in corruption and money laundering cases registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) respectively in connection with alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy.
