BRS leader Kavitha skips ED interrogation, served fresh notice

Hyderabad: In a significant twist, BRS MLC and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao's daughter Kalvakunta Kavitha, who had said on Wednesday that she would appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and fully cooperate with it after the Supreme Court rejected her plea for an urgent hearing on the summons issued to her, on Thursday did not appear for a second round of questioning in a money-laundering case related to the Delhi liquor policy case.

Instead, Kavitha sent a letter to the ED office in New Delhi, addressed to assistant director Jogender, through her representative and BRS general secretary Soma Bharat Kumar, asserting that no woman shall be compelled to attend as a witness anywhere other than where she resides. Kavitha noted in her letter to Jogender that while the summons does not require her to appear in person, she was sending her authorised representative.

Hours after receiving the letter from Bharat Kumar, the ED issued fresh summons to Kavitha asking her to appear before the agency on March 20.

"In the notice, I have not been asked to appear in person or through an authorised representative. I am appearing through an authorised representative, Soma Bharat Kumar, to hand over this representation and the documents," Kavitha wrote. She appealed in her letter that the interrogations be postponed because her appeal to the Supreme Court against the summons by the central agency would be heard on March 24.

In addition, in response to the agency's summons, she had sent her bank account and business information through her representative.

In her letter, Kavitha maintained that as a woman she should not be summoned to the office for questioning and that the agency should defer proceedings against her until the Supreme Court gives its ruling on her appeal for protection from arrest and summons.

In her letter, Kavitha contended that because she is a woman and is protected by law, she should not be called to the ED office and that she was always ready for questioning at her residence or willing to appear through audio and video mode.

She also invited the officers to her residence for questioning, which is as per the mandate of law. However, the ED rejected her petition and summoned her to appear before it on March 20.

"I appeared before the ED on March 11 and rendered all due assistance and cooperation within my reach and knowledge. I furnished all relevant information and answered all queries to the best of my knowledge. Nothing was brought on record as to how my phone was connected with the alleged offence, if any," Kavitha said in her letter.

She claimed she was forced to remain at the ED office into dusk until about 8.30 p.m., and was finally allowed to leave only after that.  She stated that she had approached the Supreme Court in connection with the questioning and the case was adjourned to March 24.

Magunta asked to appear on March 18

The Enforcement Directorate summoned Andhra Pradesh YSRC MP Magunta Srinivaulu Reddy to appear before it on March 18 for questioning in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case. The ED had earlier arrested the MP's son Raghava Reddy.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court extended custody of Hyderabad-based businessman Aurn Ramachandran Pillai for three more days following the ED officials' request.