ED FILES FRESH CHARGE SHEET IN EXCISE CASE, NAMES KAVITHA

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed a fresh charge sheet in the Delhi excise policy case, naming Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha as an accused, people familiar with the development said.

Friday’s charge sheet is the seventh in the case so far and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who got interim bail on Friday, has not been named in it. Officials said a separate supplementary charge sheet will be filed against Kejriwal by next week.

The charge sheet against Kavitha was filed under sections 45 and 44 (1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act before a special court in Delhi, officials said. The court will hear the arguments on cognisance of the charge sheet on May 13.

The others named in the charge sheet include Chanpreet Singh, who allegedly managed the AAP’S funds procured through kickbacks in the excise policy during the 2022 Goa assembly elections; Damodar Prasad Sharma and Prince Kumar (employees in a firm allegedly used for routing of funds); and Arvind Kumar Singh (creative head of India Ahead news channel).

Speaking about her role in the framing of the policy, an official said Kavitha orchestrated a deal with Kejriwal and then deputy CM Manish Sisodia. “She, along with other members of the South Group, paid them kickbacks through a string of intermediaries and middlemen. In exchange for kickbacks paid to the leaders of AAP, Kavitha had access to the policy formulation and was offered provisions to ensure a favorable position to her,” said the official.