Central probe agencies have become an extended arm of BJP: BRS over ED summons to MLC Kavitha

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 8 : The Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti (BRS) came down heavily on the Centre after the Enfrocement Directorate (ED) summoned MLC K Kavitha in connection with its ongoing probe of the Delhi excise policy case, saying that the central probe agencies have become an extended arm of the BJP.
Reffering to the summons as "politically motivated", BRS leader Ravula Sridhar Reddy said the except ED and BJP, nobody really understands the case registered in connection with the new-withdrawn new Delhi excise policy.
Alleging that Opposition leaders who join the BJP are cleared of all charges levelled against them, he said, "This clearly goes to show that the central probe agencies are being used to harass the Opposition leaders. These agencies have become an extended arm of the BJP."
Meanwhile, BRS MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's daughter, K Kavitha, arrvied in the national capital to answer summons issued to her in the liquor policy case.
She was asked to appear before the ED on March 9.
BJP spokesperson Rachana Reddy, denied the charges levelled by the ruling BRS, saying, "This (summons) is a natural progression in the ongoing legal investigation being carried out by the Enforcement Directorate into the allegations of the involvement of Kalvakuntla Kavita in the Delhi liquor policy scam."
Kavitha is learnt to have been asked to depose before the investigators at the ED headquarters in the national capital and record her statement.
According to sources, Kavitha will be made to sit face-to-face with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, who was arrested in connection with the liquor policy case on Monday night.
Earlier on Wednesday, the MLC termed the summons as "tactics of intimidation" by the Centre against the Telangana chief minister K Chadrashekar Rao and the BRS, adding that the party will continue to fight and expose the Centre's failures and will raise its voice for a brighter and better future for India.
"I would also like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, CM 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 and raise voice for a brighter and better future for India," Kavitha posted a statement on Twitter today.
In its investigation, ED has come to know that Pillai is one of the key persons in the entire scam involving payments of huge kickbacks and the formation of the biggest cartel of the South Group.
South Group comprises Telangana MLC Kavitha, Sarath Reddy (promoter of Aurobindo Group), Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (MP, Ongole), his son Raghav Magunta, and others. The South Group was being represented by Pillai, Abhishek Boinpalli and Butchi Babu, the federal agency investigation has revealed.
Pillai along with his associates was coordinating with various persons to execute the political understanding between the South Group and a leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Pillai has been an accomplice and was involved in the kickbacks from the South Group and the recoupment of the same from the businesses in Delhi, ED investigation reveals.
The ED had earlier said that the South Group gave kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders.
Pillai is learnt to be a partner of 32.5 per cent in Indo Spirits, which had got an L1 licence. Indo Spirits is a partnership firm of Arun Pillai (32.5 per cent), Prem Rahul (32.5 per cent) and Indospirit Distribution Limited (35 per cent), wherein Arun Pillai and Prem Rahul represented the benami investments of Kavitha and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy and his son Raghava Magunta.
Kavitha, who is a member of Telangana Legislative Council, was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the same case in December last year.