Bharat Rashtra Samithi's K Kavitha was arrested over the Delhi liquor policy case, leading to a tense confrontation between her brother and senior BRS member, KT Rama Rao, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials involved in the arrest.
A video from inside K Kavitha's Hyderabad residence displays a heated exchange between Rama Rao, known as KTR, and the ED officials. KTR alleges in the video that the officials lacked the necessary transit warrant to legally move Kavitha, the daughter of ex-Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, to Delhi.
The footage reveals KTR questioning the ED officials, "Madam Bhanu Priya Meena says search is completed (and) arrest warrant is issued, but they don't have a transit warrant. And now she says the family cannot come in?"
A transit warrant, or a transit remand order, is a legal directive from a judicial magistrate, assigning an arrested person to police custody prior to their lawful transfer across state lines.
Kavitha is now expected to be moved to Delhi for further questioning, NDTV quoted sources as saying.
The recorded altercation between KTR, his aides, and the ED officials shows each side filming the incident and attempting to outshout the other. During this standoff, warnings of violating Supreme Court orders also were reportedly exchanged.
The ED claims Kavitha to be part of a 'South group', which allegedly bribed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of Delhi for liquor licenses through a now-abolished liquor excise policy. Accusations include a payment of Rs 100 crore in bribes, speculated to have been used for election campaigns by AAP.
Kavitha, questioned previously twice in this case, has repeatedly avoided appearing for multiple summons by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation. She also petitioned the Supreme Court arguing the central agencies are legally not able to summon female accused to their offices.
Continuing to deny all charges against her, Kavitha has accused the BJP of using the ED for targeted political attacks. Her arrest coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Telangana as part of a major outreach effort ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.