K Kavitha, a prominent leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), was released from Tihar Jail on Tuesday night following a Supreme Court order granting her bail in the Delhi excise policy case. Kavitha, who had been in custody since her arrest in March by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering investigation, was detained at Tihar’s jail number 6 for the past five months. She had been initially arrested at her residence in Hyderabad by the ED, and later, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took her into custody within the prison in April.

Upon her release, Kavitha was met by a jubilant crowd of BRS supporters and workers, who celebrated with drumbeats and fireworks. Her brother, K T Rama Rao, who is the working president of the BRS, was also present to welcome her.

Addressing her supporters, Kavitha declared that her party would confront the allegations both legally and politically. She insisted that the charges against her were politically motivated and reaffirmed her innocence, stating, “The entire country knows I was put in jail for political reasons. I have done nothing wrong.”

The Supreme Court granted Kavitha bail after questioning the central agencies about the fairness and thoroughness of their investigation. The court’s bench, comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, criticized the ED and CBI for failing to present substantial evidence proving Kavitha’s involvement. The court ordered her release on bail upon the furnishing of ₹10 lakh bonds in each case.

The additional solicitor general SV Raju, representing the central agencies, argued that Kavitha had tampered with evidence by formatting her phone. However, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who represented Kavitha, countered that the investigation had been concluded and highlighted that Manish Sisodia, another accused in the same case, had been granted bail earlier this month.