Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha, who was summoned again on Thursday, in connection with a money-laundering case related to Delhi Excise Policy case, skipped the questioning by Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The leader had, however, approached the Supreme Court, claiming that since she is a woman, the central agency cannot summon her to the office and instead the agency’s representatives must visit her.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court had agreed to hear her plea challenging the ED summons on March 24 but refused to grant her interim relief.
Kavitha did not appear for the third round of ED questioning, conveying to the probe agency that the matter is still pending before the apex court. According to the sources, Kavitha has sent the necessary documents sought by the probe agency through her legal representative.
The ED had asked the BRS MLC to appear before it today. Heavy security was deployed outside the Delhi residence of the Kavitha ahead of her questioning by ED. The court has agreed to hear her petition on March 24, in the Delhi excise policy case.
Kavitha, who is the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, approached the Supreme court saying as per norms a woman cannot be summoned for questioning before ED in office and her questioning should take place at her residence.
The advocate for Kavitha said that a woman is now being summoned by ED for questioning and that it is “completely against the law”.
Kavitha’s lawyer mentioned the plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and sought an urgent hearing on her petitions. The court agreed to list it on March 24.
The court asked the lawyer what was the urgency in the matter and the lawyer replied that Kavitha has been asked to appear before ED tomorrow.
In a petition, filed through advocate Vandana Sehgal, Kavitha has urged the top court to quash the ED summons dated March 7 and 11 stating that asking her to appear before the agency office instead of her residence is contrary to the settled tenets of criminal jurisprudence and thus, wholly unsustainable in law being violative of the Proviso to Section 160 of the CrPC.
She has also sought that all procedures carried out by ED, including those in relation to the recording of statements, be audio or videographed in the presence of her lawyer at a visible distance inter-alia by way of installation of appropriate CCTV cameras.
She has also sought to set aside the impounding order dated March 11, 2023 and declare the seizure made thereunder null and void.
In the petition, she said, “Despite the petitioner, Kavitha not being named in the FIR, certain members of the incumbent ruling political party at the Center made scandalous statements linking the Petitioner to the Delhi Excise Policy and the said FIR.”
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