DK Shivakumar case: This is not the way to treat citizens, apex court raps ED

The case was based on a charge sheet filed by the I-T Department against them last year alleging tax evasion.
DK Shivakumar case: This is not the way to treat citizens, apex court raps ED

NEW DELH: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging the Delhi High Court order granting bail to Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar in a money-laundering case.

A bench comprising Justices R F Nariman and S Ravindra Bhat pulled up the ED for copy-pasting arguments from P Chidambaram’s case without editing and also issued a notice on the petition filed by Shivakumar seeking quashing of charges against him by the Income Tax department.

“This is not the way to treat your citizens,” the bench remarked and pointed to the investigating agency for copy-pasting chunks from court documents of former Union minister Chidambaram and using them in their arguments against Shivakumar’s bail.

Stating that the court felt its orders were not being complied with, Justice Nariman told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the ED: “This is not the way people of the country should be treated. You should read the dissenting judgment in the Sabarimala case... We cannot allow violation of our order and it has to be complied with. You should instruct the officials that our judgments are not to be played with.”
The minority judgment said  that the SC’s 2018 order was non-negotiable and no person or authority can flout it.

The ED had moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court decision granting bail to Shivakumar saying the Congress leader could tamper with evidence in the case. The HC had granted bail to him on October 23.

Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA in Karnataka, was booked along with others for alleged offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The case was based on a charge sheet filed by the I-T Department against them last year alleging tax evasion.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com