Liquorgate scam simmers: Kavitha arrested, taken to Delhi for questioning

Hyderabad: On the eve of the Election Commission announcing the poll schedule for Lok Sabha elections, Hyderabad witnessed dramatic developments culminating to the arrest of BRS MLC K Kavitha, daughter of former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, by the Enforcement Directorate under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. She was flown to Delhi. The BRS gave a call for state-wide protests on Saturday. Kavitha, who was taken to Delhi, was kept in ED office and she would be produced before the ED magistrate on Saturday. Soon after reaching Delhi, medical tests were conducted on her on Friday night. Interestingly, she would be produced in the same court which will be hearing the case of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Speculations are rife that Kejriwal may also be arrested on Saturday.

It is learnt that the ED team has been preparing the ground for questioning Kavitha for about a week.

The team from New Delhi landed at her house and questioned her for over five hours. The arrest warrant said that searches were conducted from 1.45 pm till 6.40 pm. The ED had shown her arrest at 5.20 pm in the panchanama. All her mobile phones and that of all those working in her house, including domestic help were seized. The Supreme Court, which had granted the BRS leader immunity from interrogation till Wednesday, also heard her petition against the agency's summons in the case on Friday. The next hearing in the case will be on Tuesday.

The Enforcement Directorate had claimed that Kavitha was part of a lobby called the 'South Group', which played a key role in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. The other members of the group, according to the agency, were Hyderabad businessman Sarath Reddy, YSR Congress Party MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta Reddy. Sarath Reddy and Raghav Reddy have turned approvers in the case.

The agency has said that the group was represented in their dealings by businessmen Arun Pillai and Abhishek Boinpally, and a chartered accountant Buchi Babu.