MLC Kavitha was finally granted bail after spending approximately six months in Tihar Jail in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. She was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 15 and later taken into custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 15 for the same case. During her 153 days in jail as a remand prisoner, Kavitha reportedly lost 11 kilograms and experienced several health issues.
Her health began to deteriorate on July 16, leading to her being treated at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Delhi. Two days later, on July 18, Kavitha’s health concerns were raised during a video conference court appearance before Judge Kaveri Baveja. As a result, she was allowed to undergo medical examinations at Delhi AIIMS. Despite ongoing treatment from jail doctors, her condition did not fully improve.
On August 22, Kavitha fell ill again and was once more taken to Delhi AIIMS for medical tests, this time in the presence of her husband, Anil. She was returned to the jail later that same day. Over the course of her imprisonment, Kavitha lost around 11 kilograms due to her health struggles.
However, the BRS party has been alleging that it was a fabricated case to harass political opponents. BRS President KCR, too, maintained that the Delhi liquor policy case was orchestrated by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kavitha also stated that her case was not about money laundering, but rather political laundering.
As an example, an accused in the case surprisingly turned out to be an approver, and later, he won as the NDA MP from Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, the Supreme Court took exception to many flaws and the selective approach in the investigation by the central agencies in this case. It was reported that during today’s bail petition hearing for Kavitha, the judges raised critical points about investigation delays and questioned the prosecution’s fairness. The court criticized the selective approach in treating some accused as approvers.
The bench also mentioned the special consideration for women under Section 45(1) of the PMLA, challenging the Delhi High Court’s view that this doesn’t apply to women of high status. The Supreme Court made it clear that a woman’s education, status, or political position shouldn’t affect her legal rights.
Additionally, it was reported that the judges remarked that formatting a phone alone doesn’t imply criminality and questioned whether there was independent evidence beyond this. It should be noted that Kavitha’s mobile phones made news last year when the ED officials interrogated her. It was alleged that Kavitha destroyed her mobile phones to tamper with evidence.
Kavitha withstood all the political vendetta and witch-hunt with an indomitable spirit. She remained undeterred in her fight and finally emerged victorious in court.