Hyderabad: BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha, who is in ED custody after she was remanded in the Delhi liquor policy scam case, on Tuesday took a U-turn in the Supreme Court, withdrawing her 2023 petition challenging the summons issued to her by the Enforcement Directorate.
Senior counsel Vikram Chaudhri, appearing for Kavitha, on Tuesday submitted to the court that the petitioner had already been arrested and there was no need for hearing the petition. Kavitha would file a fresh petition challenging her arrest and remand, he said.
This stand went against the one taken on the day of Kavitha’s arrest on March 16 that her counsel would take to the notice of the Supreme Court the violations allegedly made by the ED and initiate contempt of court proceedings against the agency for arresting Kavitha despite its oral undertaking before the apex court in September last that it would not take any coercive steps against her.
The case had been adjourned to March 15, on which day Additional Solicitor-General S.V. Raju, appearing for the ED in the apex court, sought to retract a statement made by him in September last to the effect that summons to the BRS leader would be deferred by 10 days. However, the court did not dwell on the issue and adjourned the matter to Tuesday.
In view of that, Rama Rao had tweeted: “ED needs to answer the Supreme Court on the inordinate rush to arrest when the matter is very much sub-judice and up for review in a couple of days, on the 19th of March. What's even more appalling is the ED undermining its own undertaking given to the Hon'ble Supreme Court. Justice shall prevail and we will continue to fight legally."
Against this, her counsel on Tuesday requested the Supreme Court’s permission to withdraw the petition, without bringing the issues. As the petition became infructuous, the bench headed by Justice Bela M. Trivedi permitted counsel to withdraw the petition.
Kavitha filed a fresh petition calling her arrest and remand to ED custody till March 23 illegal. The petition is yet to come for hearing and Kavitha’s counsel on Tuesday submitted an application before the Registry for urgent hearing. Counsel may mention it before the Chief Justice bench on Wednesday.
