NAVEENA GHANATE
Hyderabad
The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to BRS leader Kavitha in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy scam asking her to appear before it on March 20, well ahead of the day on which the Supreme Court is due to hear her plea seeking protection from arrest and the quashing of summonses issued to her by the ED.
On Wednesday Kavitha had approached the Supreme Court with her plea against “issue of summons to a woman by the ED”. The Court did not grant any interim relief to her but agreed to hear plea on March 24.
Citing her pending plea before the Supreme Court, Kavitha chose to ignore the ED notice asking her to appear before it on Thursday.On Friday, the ED said that the six-page representation of Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, had been rejected with the investigation reaching an important phase.
The ED on Thursday got custody of Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai till March 20, in connection with its probe into the Delhi excise policy scam.The Court was informed that some new details had come to light as per the ED, after the questioning of Hyderabad-based Chartered Accountant Butchibabu Gorantla on March 15.The ED submitted that thequestionings are not yet over as the same person has been re-summoned for questioning on March 17 — referring to Butchibabu, the auditor of MLC Kavitha, whose name surfaced in the case.
Kavitha sent certain documents through her authorised representatives on Thursday. Pillai is required to be shown these documents as well, the ED said.Kavitha had submitted her bank, personal and business details to the ED on Thursday.She also wrote a letter to the ED, saying that she would communicate any other required information through her representative or via email.In the letter, Kavitha said that as a woman she was protected by law, and should not be called to the ED office.
Kavitha said that she was always ready to appear virtually. She invited ED officers to her residence, saying it would be in accordance with law, but her request was turned down.
“The March 11 proceedings would prove that I have rendered the required assistance and cooperation. I had furnished all relevant information and answered all queries,” Kavitha said. She said that she was shocked as her cell phone was seized.
Kavitha also objected to the fact that she was made to wait at the ED office even after sunset. She said as she was not asked to appear in person; so, she had decided to send her representative Soma Bharat Kumar.
“However, in a manner contrary to law, you chose to seize my phone despite there being no directive in the summons that I should bring the phone. Nothing was brought on record as to how my phone was connected with the alleged offence if any. You have purportedly chosen to exercise powers under 50(5) of the PML Act which I am legally advised to say is completely untenable in law. The phone has contents covered under the law of the right to privacy,” she said in her letter.
“When specifically asked about the specific purpose cited to call me personally on 11.03.2023, I was told by the officer, Bhanupriya Meena, that they had changed plans. I therefore have reasons to believe that the investigation being carried out may not be in accordance with the law and my right for a fair inquiry has been impaired,” Kavitha said.
“I am sending my authorised representative Soma Bharat Kumar, the General Secretary of the BRS, to hand over my representation, along with my bank statements, and personal and business details as sought. You may take the same on record and if any other document or information is required you may communicate the same to my authorised representative or apprise me through email. I will comply with it,” her letter said.
Magunta Reddy was also summoned on March 18. Pillai needs to be questioned with him; the ED told the court.
The ED informed the court that Kavitha has been called for questioning on March 20 and that it has issued a summons to Butchibabu for questioning along with Pillai. Butchibabu was recently granted bail by the same court in a CBI case.
Advocate Manu Sharma, appearing for Pillai, opposed the ED’s remand plea and said that the so-called joint questioning of suspects is a never-ending process. He said that Pillai was questioned many times and had given his statements, advocate Sharma told the court.
Pillai was arrested on March 6 following day-long questioning by ED. The ED has so far arrested 11 persons in the case.
