MLC Kavitha has been granted bail in the Delhi Liquor Scam case by the Supreme Court after nearly five months in Tihar Jail. The court granted her bail in both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases linked to the scam, leading to her imminent release. The hearing saw senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi representing Kavitha, while Additional Solicitor General SV Raju argued on behalf of the ED. The arguments lasted for approximately an hour and a half, after which the Supreme Court, aligning with Rohatgi’s submissions, approved the bail. Kavitha is expected to be released after 161 days, and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders are reportedly making extensive arrangements to welcome her.
During the hearing, Rohatgi highlighted the prolonged delay in the investigation, noting that Kavitha had been in ED custody for five months and in CBI remand for four months. He pointed out that despite allegations of a Rs 100 crore involvement in the so-called “South Lobby,” the investigative agencies had not recovered any amount. Rohatgi urged the court to grant bail to Kavitha, similar to the bail previously granted to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. He assured the court that Kavitha, being an MLC and a former MP, posed no flight risk, further emphasizing her family’s political stature, with her father being a former Chief Minister and her brother a former minister.
On the other hand, SV Raju, representing the ED, argued that Kavitha had not cooperated with the investigation, alleging that she destroyed and formatted phones upon receiving the ED’s notice and later handed them over to household staff. He contended that granting bail under these circumstances, where evidence was allegedly tampered with, would be inappropriate. However, the court sided with Rohatgi’s arguments and granted Kavitha bail.