Hyderabad: BRS MLC and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao's daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before it for questioning on March 9 in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case, left for New Delhi on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, Kavitha has written a letter to the ED joint director late on Wednesday stating that she would appear before it on March 11.
In the letter, she said, “I being a responsible Indian citizen, and as a women of this nation wish to exercise my rights provided under the law.”
“Further, I fail to understand as to why I have been summoned at such a short notice. It seems that certain political motives have been masquerading in the name of investigation. I categorically say that I have nothing to do with the present investigation... Being a social worker and having prior commitments, I had already planned my schedule for the upcoming week, and the abrupt rejection of my request seems to be motivated by reasons best known to you, which demonstrates that it is nothing but political victimisation,” she added.
There have been speculations that the ED has granted her permission to appear before it on March 11, but there has been no official confirmation as of yet. Kavitha's Delhi trip on Wednesday was scheduled earlier as she planned to lead a day-long hunger strike in the national capital on March 10 demanding that the Centre introduce and pass the Women's Reservation Bill in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament.
Kavitha stated that she is a law-abiding citizen, and that she will fully cooperate with the central investigation agencies. "Let me also remind the power mongers in Delhi that Telangana has never and will never bow before the oppressive anti-people regime. We will fearlessly and fiercely fight for the rights of the people," she said in a statement. However, due to the dharna and prior appointments, she would seek legal opinions on the date of attending it, the statement said.
"I would like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, CM Shri KCR, and against the entire BRS Party will not deter us. Under the leadership of KCR Garu, we will continue to fight to expose your failures & raise voice for a brighter and better future for India," she stated.
The CBI had earlier questioned her in December 2022 at her Hyderabad residence.
On Tuesday, the ED filed its remand report in a Delhi Court, in which Hyderabad-based businessman and Robin Distillers promoter Arun Ramachandran Pillai, who was questioned and arrested, claimed that he was the benami of Kavitha. In the remand report, ED stated that Pillai represented Kavitha's business interests in the partnership firm while another accused Prem Rahul acted as her benami. The ED has so far arrested 11 people in connection with the Delhi liquor policy scam, including Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Hyderabad-based auditors Gorantla Buchi Babu and Abhishek Boinpally, among others.
