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The Central Bureau of Investigation told the apex court on Friday that BRS leader K Kavitha allegedly 'threatened' Sharath Chandra Reddy, the Aurobindo Pharma Promoter to give ₹25 crore to AAP for getting 5 retail zones under the Delhi government's excise policy. 

 

The CBI requested custody of Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao based on this accusation.

 

Kavitha had told Reddy that if the money was not received, then his business would be harmed in Telangana and Delhi under the Excise policy, the CBI has alleged. 

 

The agency alleged that in November and December 2021, Kavitha asked Reddy to pay Rs 25 crores at the rate of Rs five crore per Zone for the five retail zones allotted to him. 

 

She had claimed that she had paid ₹100 crores as upfront money on his behalf to the Aam Aadmi Party through Nair to get favourable provisions in Excise Policy. 

 

"However, when Sarath Chandra Reddy showed his reluctance to pay the demanded money, K Kavitha threatened Sarath Chandra Reddy to harm his business in Telangana and Delhi under the Excise Policy," the agency alleged, citing Reddy's statement. 

 

Reddy, who was an accused under the PMLA case probed by the Enforcement Directorate, had turned an approver in the case. He has not been charged sheeted by the CBI yet. 

 

Seeking custodial interrogation of Kavitha, the CBI told Special Judge Kaveri Baweja that it was on the "insistence and assurance" of Kavitha, that Reddy participated in the liquor business in New Delhi. 

 

She assured him that she had contacts in the Delhi government and that she would help him in the liquor business in Delhi under the new excise policy. 

 

The central agency further allegedly cited, "Kavitha also told Sharath Chandra Reddy that the payments of upfront money of ₹25 crores for wholesale business and ₹5 crores for each retail zone were to be made to the AAP in Delhi Government for getting liquor business and the same was to be paid to her associates Arun R. Pillai and Abhishek Boinpally, who would, in turn, coordinate with Vijay Nair, who was a representative of Arvind Kejriwal." 

 

The agency has alleged that in March and May 2021, when the excise policy was being formulated, Kavitha's associates Arun R Pillai, Abhishek Boinpally, and Butchibabu Gorantla stayed at Hotel Oberoi in Delhi to swing the policy in their favour through Vijay Nair by inserting provisions. 

 

After receiving assurance of support from Kavitha, Aurobindo Reality and Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd paid ₹80 lakh to her NGO Telangana Jagruthi, under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in March 2021, the CBI alleged. 

 

"The investigation has further revealed that in June-July 2021, K Kavitha had compelled Sharath Chandra Reddy to enter into a sale agreement with her for an agricultural land situated at Mahboob Nagar, Telangana, although, he was not keen to purchase the said agriculture land and also not aware of the value of the said land," it said. 

 

Kavitha "insisted" he pay ₹14 crores against the land and "forced" him to enter into a sale agreement through Mahira Ventures Pvt Ltd, one of the companies under Aurobindo Group, in July 2021, the CBI told the court citing the statement of Reddy and its investigation so far. 

 

It said the total payment of ₹14 crore was made to her through bank transactions - ₹7 crore in July 2021 and another seven crore in mid-November 2021. 

 

The Aam Admi Party had alleged on March 24 that Reddy's company has given Rs 59.5 crore to the BJP through Electoral Bonds.