In Siddhipet, representatives of the Bharat Rastra Samiti (BRS) took to the streets on Thursday to express their discontent regarding the apprehension of party lawmaker K Kavitha by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged case of money laundering linked to the excise policy in Delhi.
Demonstrations were held by the leaders at the old bus stand in Siddhipet, but law enforcement intervened, detaining the protestors. Local BRS legislators Rajashekar Reddy and Laxma Reddy staged protests in Hyderabad at Uppal Radhika X Roads and Malkajgiri X Roads alongside their supporters.
The BRS leaders could be heard chanting the phrase “ED Modi ek hai.” However, police swiftly detained them on the scene and escorted them to the nearby police station. Meanwhile, K Kavitha, who was apprehended from her residence in Bajara Hills, Hyderabad, on Friday, was brought before the Rouse Avenue Court in the capital city on Saturday.
The Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) and daughter of BRS founder and former Chief Minister of Telangana, K Chandrasekhar Rao, was taken into custody following a day-long interrogation and a search at her Hyderabad residence on Friday. Speaking to reporters at the Rouse Avenue Court, Kavitha denounced the arrest, labeling it as “unlawful.”
This development comes nearly two months after the Enforcement Directorate issued summonses to the 45-year-old BRS leader. She had been interrogated three times last year in connection with this case, with her statement recorded by the central agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to the arrest warrant issued by the Enforcement Directorate’s investigating officer, “I have reason to believe that Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha, wife of Mr. D R Anil Kumar, residing at H. No. 8-2316/S/H, Road No 14, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telengana-500034, has committed an offense punishable under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (15 of 2003).”
“Therefore, exercising the powers vested in me under subsection (1) of section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (915 of 2003), I hereby detain the aforementioned Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha at 05.20 pm on 15.03.2024, providing her with the grounds for arrest. A copy of the grounds of arrest (spanning 14 pages) has been duly presented to her,” added the officer.