Kavitha Gets Temporary Relief From SC in Delhi Liquor Policy Scam Case

HYDERABAD: BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha got temporary relief on Friday in Supreme Court in the Delhi liquor scam case, with the court directing the Enforcement Directorate to not take any coercive steps against her, including issuing summons, till September 26.

The ED on Thursday had asked Kavitha to appear for questioning. Though she had attended three questioning sessions before the ED, this is the first time she would have faced questioning after some accused had turned approver.

On Friday, the petition filed by Kavitha in March challenging the ED summons came up for hearing before the division bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia. This petition was tagged with the one filed by Nalini Chidambaram, wife of former Union minister P. Chidambaram, who had requested the Supreme Court to quash the ED summons against her in the Saradha Chit Fund scam case.

Both had questioned the ED summoning women to its offices.

Senior counsel Vikram Chaudhary, representing Kavitha requested the court to give the similar orders in the Nalini Chidambaram case, in which the apex court had protected her from coercive action. Counsel also cited provisions of the ED Act, which facilitate the questioning of women in their houses.

Counsel requested the court to list the petition of Kavitha for final hearing and till then direct the ED against taking coercive steps against her. He said in the latest summons, the ED had not given her any time.

Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju objected, asking how the summons of an investigating agency could be deferred sine die (without any future date). He said the ED could reschedule the questioning but could not defer it till the final hearing.