After Sisodia, SC grants bail to Kavitha in excise case
Hindustan TimesNEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha in the Delhi excise policy case, while delivering a stern reprimand to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate over the fairness of their investigation and questioning the agencies for basing their entire case on inferences rather than solid, incriminating evidence. The case had drawn significant political attention, with Kavitha being accused of playing a central role in paying an alleged bribe of ₹100 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party and its leaders, including Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, in lieu of receiving benefits for private liquor businessmen from the southern part of India – a consortium termed the “South Group”. While additional solicitor general SV Raju, representing the agencies, read out statements of witnesses and other evidence to persuade the bench against granting bail to Kavitha, the court’s criticism reached a peak as it warned the ASG that continued arguments could lead to the court making formal observations on the impartiality of the investigation. The Supreme Court’s harsh words for CBI and ED are likely to have significant implications, not only for the ongoing prosecution in the excise policy case but also for the broader conduct of the agencies in high-profile cases, especially in relation to the selective treatment of witnesses and reliance on inferences rather than direct evidence.