BRS leader K Kavitha walked out of Tihar jail on Tuesday night, hours after the Supreme Court granted her bail in the Delhi excise policy case. Kavitha was arrested by Enforcement Directorate in March in a money laundering probe linked to the case.
BRS workers and supporters who had gathered outside the jail to welcome her played drums and burst crackers as she stepped out of the prison complex. Kavitha’s brother and BRS working president K T Rama Rao was also present.
Kavitha was arrested by the ED in March in relation with the excise policy case, and was lodged in Tihar’s jail number 6 for the past five months. She was arrested from her Banjara Hill residence in Hyderabad by the ED, and then arrested inside Tihar Jail by the CBI in April this year.
Surrounded by a massive crowd of supporters and BRS workers, K Kavitha walked out of Tihar jail and said that her party will fight out these allegations legally.
The BRS leader said, “We are fighters, we will fight it out legally and politically. They have only made the BRS and KCR’s team unbreakable.” Maintaining that the allegations against her are false, she said, “Entire country knows I was put in jail for political reason. I have done nothing wrong.”
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court granted bail to K Kavitha in the money laundering case, while questioning the central agencies over the fairness of their probe and asking if they were free to “pick and choose” an accused.
“The appellant (Kavitha) is directed to be released forthwith on bail … on furnishing bail bonds in the sum of ₹10 lakh in each of the cases,” the bench said.
The apex court bench, consisting of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, questioned what “material” the ED and CBI had to prove that Kavitha was involved in the case. Additional solicitor general SV Raju, representing the central agencies, said that Kavitha had formatted her phone, and her behaviour amounted to tampering with evidence.
However, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for K Kavitha, sought bail for the BRS leader arguing that the probe against her was already complete. He also said that Manish Sisodia, jailed in the same case, was released on bail earlier this month.
(With inputs from agencies)
