Excise case: Will file reply to Kavitha's bail plea by Aug 22, ED tells SC

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it will file its response to BRS leader K Kavitha's bail plea in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam by August 22.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation, told a bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan that the CBI's counter affidavit has already been filed in the matter.

Raju said the ED's counter affidavit was in the "pipeline" and would be filed by August 22.

The bench posted the matter for hearing on August 27.

The apex court had on August 12 sought responses from the CBI and the ED on Kavitha's pleas challenging a July 1 Delhi High Court order denying her bail in the two cases.

The high court had dismissed Kavitha's bail pleas in both the cases, saying she was prima facie one of the main conspirators in the criminal conspiracy related to the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

The CBI and the ED have lodged separate cases pertaining to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and implementation of the policy.

The ED arrested Kavitha (46) from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15. The CBI arrested her on April 11 from Tihar jail in connection with the corruption case.

Kavitha has denied all allegations.