K Kavitha walks out of Tihar jail after 5 months; says will fight and prove innocence

Hours after getting bail from the Supreme Court in the Delhi excise policy case, BRS leader K Kavitha walked out of Tihar Jail late on Tuesday (August 27) evening to a rousing welcome by her party members and vowed to fight back to prove her innocence.

Teary reunion with family

The 46-year-old leader was visibly emotional as she was reunited with her husband, children and her brother and BRS working president K T Rama Rao.

Kavitha, who spent five months in jail, alleged that she was arrested only for political reasons and promised to "return it with interest" to those who had put her and her family through the ordeal.

BRS workers and supporters, who had gathered outside the jail, celebrated to the beats of drums and burst crackers. Party MLAs, MPs and former ministers from Telangana were also present.

‘KCR team unbreakable’

Addressing party workers and supporters outside the prison, Kavitha said that the entire country knows that she has done "nothing wrong". She asserted that the "unjust" imprisonment had strengthened her party's resolve and the BRS and KCR team is "unbreakable".

"We will fight and prove ourselves innocent ...we were always tough. We are fighters. We will fight it out legally. We will fight it out politically. By sending us to jail illegally, they have only made the BRS and KCR team unbreakable," Kavitha said.

Addressing reports later at the party office, she vowed to retaliate against those who put her and her family through the ordeal.

“I will return it with interest to those who put me and my family through this ordeal. Our time will come."

The BRS leader insisted on her innocence and said her arrest was politically motivated.

Why was Kavitha arrested?

The Enforcement Directorate had arrested her from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15 and the CBI had arrested her from Tihar jail on April 11.

Kavitha has been accused of being part of the 'South Group', a cartel of businessmen and politicians, which allegedly paid kickbacks of ₹100 crore to Delhi's ruling AAP in return for liquor licences. She has denied all allegations "Only because of politics, I was put behind bars. I made no mistake. I will fight and prove I'm innocent," she told reporters.

"I am Telangana's daughter, KCR's daughter. I cannot commit a mistake. I am stubborn and good," she added.

‘Will fight this battle on all fronts’

Kavitha acknowledged the personal toll of her incarceration, stating, "Being separated from my family and children for five-and-a-half months as a mother was particularly trying." "We will fight this battle on both legal and political fronts. By unjustly imprisoning me, they have only strengthened the BRS party and KCR's resolve," Kavitha said.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) founder and Kavitha's father K Chandrashekar Rao, popularly called KCR, had alleged that she was arrested due to BJP's vendetta.

Celebration at BRS office

"Thank You Supreme Court. Relieved. Justice prevailed," K T Rama Rao said on X after his sister was granted bail.

BRS leaders distributed sweets at the party's headquarters in Hyderabad.

Kavitha will leave for Hyderabad on Wednesday afternoon.

What SC said

While granting bail on Tuesday, an apex court bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan noted that Kavitha had been in custody for around five months and the probe against her by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was complete in these cases.

The court allowed Kavitha's appeals against the July 1 verdict of the Delhi High Court which had denied her bail in the two cases.

Bail conditions

While quashing the high court verdict, the apex court said Kavitha shall not make any attempt to tamper with evidence or influence the witnesses and shall deposit her passport with the trial judge.

It said she shall regularly attend the trial court proceedings and cooperate to ensure expeditious disposal of the trial.

SC rap to EC, CBI

The two federal agencies came in for some sharp criticism over their "fairness" in dealing with the matter, with the apex court observing: "Sorry to see this state of affairs".

"You will pick and choose anyone?" it asked while referring to one of the witnesses whose statements were read out in the court during the arguments,” the Supreme Court said.

"The prosecution has to be fair. You can't pick and choose anyone. What is this fairness? A person who incriminates himself has been made a witness," the bench said, adding, "Tomorrow you will pick up anyone as you choose and leave anyone as you choose as an accused? Very fair and reasonable discretion!"

When Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the probe agencies, referred to some witnesses who have claimed Kavitha's involvement in the alleged scam, the court told him it would be compelled to "observe everything" if he tried to pull it into the details.

"We will have to observe about the fairness and impartiality of the investigating agencies," it said, adding, "If you want those observations, you argue more".

(With inputs from agencies)