A Delhi Special Court, presided over by Special CBI Judge Kaveri Baweja, has extended the judicial custody of BRS leader K Kavitha until April 23 in connection with the money laundering case related to the Delhi Excise policy.

The decision came on Tuesday following a hearing where Kavitha expressed confidence that the case, which she claimed is based on statements, would not withstand the test of time.

This extension of custody follows the court’s denial of interim bail to Kavitha on Monday. Her plea for interim bail, citing her 16-year-old son’s ongoing exams and the need for her “moral and emotional support,” was dismissed by the court. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kavitha, emphasized the unique perspective a mother provides and cited Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which allows bail for female accused irrespective of the bail conditions under PMLA.

In opposition, Zoheb Hossain, counsel for the Enforcement Directorate, argued that granting interim bail to Kavitha could disrupt their ongoing investigation, stating that the agency was nearing a breakthrough in its probe.

Kavitha, aged 46, was arrested on March 15 by the central probe agency. She stands accused of being a prominent member of the “South Group,” allegedly involved in paying kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi in exchange for a significant share of liquor licenses in the national capital.

Her arrest took place at her residence in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, on March 15.