The Supreme Court of India granted BRS leader K Kavitha bail on Tuesday in connection with corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The court questioned the fairness of the investigation conducted by central agencies, asking if they could freely “pick and choose” who to accuse.
Kavitha was released from Tihar Jail late on Tuesday evening. Outside the jail, BRS workers and supporters celebrated her release by playing drums and bursting crackers. Her brother, K T Rama Rao, who is also the BRS working president, was present to welcome her.
Kavitha, a lawmaker from Telangana, had been in jail for over five months. The Supreme Court, while granting bail, noted that with 493 witnesses to examine and 50,000 pages of documents to review, the trial was unlikely to conclude anytime soon.
The court demanded that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) provide evidence proving Kavitha’s involvement in the alleged scam. The court ordered her release on bail after she furnished bail bonds worth Rs 10 lakh in each of the cases. Kavitha’s appeals were against a July 1 decision by the Delhi High Court, which had previously denied her bail.
Later in the day, a Delhi court issued the release warrants for Kavitha, allowing her to leave jail. The Supreme Court overturned the high court’s decision but imposed conditions on Kavitha. She was instructed not to tamper with evidence, influence witnesses, and was required to deposit her passport with the trial judge. Additionally, she must regularly attend the trial court proceedings and cooperate to ensure a speedy trial.
The Supreme Court criticized the central agencies for their investigation, expressing concern over their discretion in selecting who to accuse. The court remarked that it was “sorry to see this state of affairs,” and questioned whether agencies would arbitrarily choose who to make an accused.
On a political note, BJP leader and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar accused the Congress and BRS of being “partners in crime.” He alleged that the Congress and its lawyers helped secure Kavitha’s bail.
