Hyderabad: Telangana Jagruthi president Kalvakuntla Kavitha asserted that the fees introduced towards her within the Delhi excise coverage case was “politically motivated” and termed it “a vendetta” towards the opposition events.

Other than Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP) bigwigs Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, Kavitha was among the many whole 23 accused within the high-profile case who have been discharged Friday by a particular court docket.

“I’ve stated 100 instances that now we have nothing to do with this case. It is a politically motivated case. As a part of political vendetta, this case has been placed on the opposition events,” Kavitha instructed the media Friday exterior her occasion workplace.

She additional thanked the judiciary for “reducing by way of the online of lies” and clearing her identify from the case. Flanked by her husband and elder son, Kavitha expressed her gratitude to her dad and mom, household, and her occasion employees and supporters.

Nevertheless, she avoided making any point out of her brother and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president Ok.T.Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, and cousin T.Harish Rao, a former minister within the BRS authorities in Telangana.

In September 2025, Kavitha’s father and BRS supremo Ok Chandrashekar Rao, or KCR, suspended her for anti-party actions, an motion that got here after occasion leaders slammed her for condemning Harish Rao and her affiliation damaging occasion pursuits. Earlier than the suspension, she had not directly focused her brother KTR for inner rifts throughout the BRS.

“Basically, it was a vendetta on KCR and it has been deflected on to Kavitha. Who will account for the time that I misplaced with my children? Who will account for the time that I’ve misplaced with the household?” she stated Friday, calling the case as ‘certainly one of deflected anger’.

The previous BRS chief, who spent 5 months in jail, was amongst a number of influential people from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana whose names got here up within the alleged rip-off. She was arrested in March 2024 forward of the overall election in Might that yr by the Enforcement Directorate underneath sections of the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kavitha’s identify figured even within the circumstances investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for her alleged involvement in the identical rip-off.

KTR’s tweet on X after the court docket’s judgement factors to this line of argument. He stated the “political casualty” of that narrative was the BRS in each the Meeting and Parliamentary elections.

“Kavitha Garu obtained justice in court docket at present, and in the identical method, each case registered towards our leaders will likely be conclusively uncovered as false, politically motivated, and fabricated,” he posted on X.

The names of Kavitha and some different distinguished politicians from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh figured within the so-called ‘South Group’ whose members have been stated to be Hyderabad-based businessmen Abhishek Boinpally and Arun Ramchandra Pillai, YSRCP chief Magunta Raghav, and chartered accountant Butchibabu Gorantla.

P. Sarath Chandra Reddy, the director of Aurobindo Pharma, was additionally accused of controlling liquor retail zones in Delhi by way of proxy entities. He later turned an approver within the case, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) closely relied on his statements in submitting the cost sheet.

The ‘South Group’ was alleged to have paid Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to AAP’s consultant Vijay Nair for guaranteeing the group’s members have been favoured as a part of Delhi authorities’s liquor coverage.

The CBI in addition to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigated the position of Kavitha and different people in allegedly making and transferring the cash to Goa and Punjab for AAP’s election expenditure there. The ED’s supplementary cost sheet additionally named Kavitha’s husband Devanapalli Anil Kumar, accusing him of utilizing unlawful funds to buy land for reasonable costs.

Whereas there’s an ominous silence amongst senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Celebration, Congress, and the BRS, different political reactions swung from questioning the CBI’s credibility to questioning if the acquittal will render Kavitha as the actual winner within the battle inside her household, notably her brother and cousin.

A BJP normal secretary conceded to ThePrint that the trial court docket’s verdict will likely be a shot within the arm for Kavitha.

“There may be each risk of her rising as a brand new drive. The judgement has armed her with a licence to assault BJP as a result of CBI’s and ED’s failure to provide prima facie proof certainly level to political vendetta and the opposition’s statements have turned true,” the BJP functionary instructed ThePrint. “This may additional strengthen the Congress’ stand within the state and undoubtedly go away the BRS in a repair.”

Equally, a Congress normal secretary didn’t rule out Friday’s influence on impending elections.

“What in regards to the overwhelming proof that was produced by the businesses? Has the CBI ignored procedural compliance by the Delhi authorities in handing out liquor licences because the finger of suspicion initially pointed to this flaw? Regardless of the end result be within the larger courts, the influence of this judgement will echo loudly in Delhi, Telangana, and all of the states which are going to polls within the subsequent couple of months,” the Congress functionary stated.

(Edited by Tony Rai)

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