Excise Policy Case: Delhi Court Issues Notice To CBI On K Kavitha’s Plea

The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday has issued notice to the CBI on a bail plea of Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha.

What’s In The Matter?

She sought a default bail in the Delhi Excise policy case.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja issued notice to CBI and listed the matter on July 12 for further hearing.

Advocate Nitesh Rana and Mohit P Rao appeared for K Kavitha.

Moreover, they submitted that while considering the charge sheet for the purpose of cognizance on July 6, it was specifically dictated by the court that the charge sheet was defective.

It is submitted that the applicant seeking a default bail as the CBI has failed to file a complete charge sheet within a mandatory period of 60 days.

Also, it was submitted that she should be granted default bail in the matter and interim bail during the pendency of the current bail application.

Case History

Previously, her regular bail applications were dismissed by the trial court and High Court.

Kavitha is in judicial custody in both the CBI and the money laundering case.

Firstly, she was arrested by the ED on March 15. Thereafter, she was arrested by the CBI on April 11.

The ED had also filed the charge sheet against her in the Delhi Excise Policy money laundering case.

The officials stated that, the CBI inquiry was recommended based on the findings of the Delhi Chief Secretary’s report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010.

The ED & CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval.

More into the case, the beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.

As per the allegations, the Excise Department decided to refund the earnest money deposit of about Rs.30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules.

Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19, the probe agency stated and there was an alleged loss of Rs. 144.36 crore to the exchequer.

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