Excise scam haunts Kavitha as CBI sends fresh summons

The contentious excise policy scam unearthed in Delhi by probe agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation in December 2022 continues to haunt several politicians and businesspersons across the country. Among those linked with the case is BRS leader and MLC Kavitha Kalvakuntla, who is the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister KCR. Many other high-profile politicians like Aravind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia are also mired in this scam.

She was summoned by both the ED and the CBI several times for questioning her links with the case. Though she attended the inquiry many times, Kavitha managed to evade arrest and also brought a stay from the Supreme against taking a deposition from her. However, the probe agencies are trying their best to tighten the screw and arrest her very soon. The fresh update is that the CBI has served notices to Kavitha to appear before them for another inquiry. There is no clarity yet on whether she will attend the it or not.

Kavitha has been under the scanner ever since she was named in the remand report of ED for allegedly playing a purported and indirect role in bribing the officials in collusion with politicians of the Aam Aadmi Party to tinker with the excise policy and grant kickbacks worth crores of money. One of her close associates and benami, Arun Ramachandra Pilla was arrested in March last year.

Others who were arrested in connection with this case were YSRCP MP Magunta Srinivasula Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta. Business magnates like Sarath Chandra Reddy and Amit Arora were also arrested last year.

While Kavitha opposed the summons by claiming that it is a politically motivated move, the probe agencies are continuing their efforts to implicate as many as possible to make some headway in this case.

Kavitha won as MP from Nizamabad in 2014. But, she lost to BJP’s Dharmapuri Arvind. She is currently serving as MLC. There are speculations that she might not contest in the upcoming parliament elections as KCR wants to continue her as an MLC.