Today, the Delhi court approved the Enforcement Directorate's request to extend K Kavitha's custody until April 9. Kavitha, a prominent leader of BRS, will remain in lock-up for an additional 15 days as per the agency's request.

Ms. Kavitha was arrested on March 15 in relation to the purported liquor policy scandal that has embroiled the Aam Aadmi Party, currently in governance in the national capital. Just a week after her arrest, the probe agency also took Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal into custody.

The trial court granted the Enforcement Directorate permission to keep Ms. Kavitha in custody for an additional five days last week.

The extension granted last week, during which Ms. Kavitha was reportedly confronted with the statements of four individuals and a forensic report of data extracted from her mobile phone by the agency, concludes today.

The Enforcement Directorate has levied accusations against Ms. Kavitha, who is the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, alleging that she was a prominent member of the 'South Group.' This group purportedly offered a bribe of ₹100 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party in exchange for liquor licenses under the now-defunct policy of the Delhi government.

Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate suspects that the Aam Aadmi Party utilized this money to finance its election campaigns in Goa and Punjab.

In the remand request presented to the court today, the agency asserted that "it is apparent Ms. K. Kavitha is implicated in the actions of providing kickbacks to government officials to obtain unlawful advantages in the formulation and execution of excise policies..." The agency further stated that the BRS leader is "actively engaged in the transfer of proceeds of crime amounting to ₹100 crore... which was disbursed to AAP leaders."

The agency also referenced Ms. Kavitha's failure to respond to summons and asserted that she "has not provided accurate and comprehensive disclosure and has not cooperated with the investigation."

After her arrest in Hyderabad, which unfolded dramatically with a verbal altercation involving her brother, former Telangana minister KT Rama Rao, and a team of ED officials, Ms. Kavitha also sought recourse from the Supreme Court. However, her appeal was promptly dismissed.

A special bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh, and Bela Trivedi stated that they could not permit individuals, regardless of their influence, to circumvent the lower courts.

Coincidentally, the same bench was scheduled to hear a similar plea by Mr. Kejriwal. However, shortly after Ms. Kavitha's plea was rejected, the Delhi Chief Minister withdrew his plea, apprehensive of facing a similar outcome.

Later on the same day, Mr. Kejriwal was remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate for a period of seven days.