The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed displeasure over the remarks made by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on the court's decision to grant bail to BRS chief K. Kavitha in connection with the alleged excise scam in Delhi.
The Chief Minister had suggested that the court's actions were influenced by consultations with political parties. In response, the Supreme Court asked the pointed question: “Are we passing orders after consultations with political parties?”
On Reddy's statement about a 'deal' between the BJP and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to get bail for Kavitha, SC said such remarks could create anxiety among people.
“Did you read what he said in the newspaper? Just read what he said. What kind of statement is this from a responsible prime minister? That could rightly cause fear among the people. Is this the kind of statement that should be made by a prime minister? A constitutional officer speaks in this way.
“Why should they drag the court into political rivalry? Do we pass orders after consultation with political parties? We are not harassed by politicians or if anyone criticises our orders. We do our duty according to conscience and oath,” a three-judge bench headed by Justice BR Gavai told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Reddy.
Kavitha was granted bail after five months, while Manish Sisodia, the former deputy chief minister of Delhi, spent 15 months in jail before getting bail. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has not yet been granted bail, Reddy said during a media interaction.
“It is a fact that the BRS supported the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. There are also rumours suggesting that Kavitha's bail was secured through an arrangement between the BRS and the BJP,” he alleged.
SC grants bail to BRS leader K Kavita
The Supreme Court granted her bail in the alleged 'excise policy case' filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). She walked out of Tihar Jail on Tuesday following the court's order.
The high court also imposed several conditions on Kavitha, including not to tamper with evidence or influence witnesses in the case. The high court directed her to pay a bail of Rs. ₹10 lakh each in both CBI and ED cases.
The Supreme Court also directed her to surrender her passport. The Supreme Court noted that Kavitha has been in custody for five months and the trial will take a long time as there are 493 witnesses and many documents. The High Court noted that the reliance is on the statements of the co-accused, who have been granted pardon and clearance.
The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities had been committed in changing the excise policy, that undue favours had been given to permit holders, that permit fees had been waived or reduced and that the L-1 permit had been renewed without the approval of the competent authority.
