CBI to probe DK Shivakumar after Karnataka govt's nod

There’s more trouble brewing for embattled Congress leader D K Shivakumar who is currently lodged in Tihar jail in a money-laundering case.
CBI to probe DK Shivakumar after Karnataka govt's nod

BENGALURU: There’s more trouble brewing for embattled Congress leader DK Shivakumar who is currently lodged in Tihar jail in a money-laundering case. The BJP Government in the state is believed to have granted permission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate charges of corruption against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988.

According to official sources, the CBI, on the suggestion of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), had written to the Karnataka Government last month seeking permission to investigate the unaccounted cash of Rs 8.59 crore, which was seized by the Directorate of Income Tax (Investigation), Karnataka & Goa in August 2017 from one of the four flats in the upscale Safdarjung Enclave area in New Delhi, which is said to belong to Shivakumar. 

“The state government, under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, has issued an order granting permission to the CBI to inquire and investigate Shivakumar under the PCA,” said an official source on condition of anonymity. “The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had last month arrested Shivakumar under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, had reportedly referred the matter to the CBI for a broader inquiry,” the officer said.

“The CBI will initially conduct a preliminary inquiry against the jailed Kanakapura Congress MLA and register a regular case (RC) based on the material evidence they gather,” the officer added.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Shivakumar till October 15. The court also allowed the central agency to question him in jail between 11 am and 3 pm on October 4 and 5 in the presence of the jail superintendent.

“The ED officials told the court that as he was in hospital for a couple of days, they couldn’t question him thoroughly. They had sought permission to question him in jail and the court has granted permission for questioning for two days. Our advocate has assured all cooperation with the investigation and questioning. Our petition requesting my presence during the inquiry has been rejected,” Congress MP and Shivakumar’s brother D K Suresh told the media after the hearing.

Shivakumar’s bail application, which is pending before the Delhi High Court, will be taken up on October 14. It was initially scheduled to be heard on October 10. “Holidays have been declared till October 9-10. Hence, hearing on the bail application will come up on October 14. We will plan our next move after the court’s decision,” Suresh added.

Shivakumar was arrested by the ED on September 3 under the PMLA. The agency had registered a case against Shivakumar and four of his associates in September 2018 based on the chargesheet filed by the Income Tax (I-T) Department which had raided 60 properties of Shivakumar and his associates in August 2017 and unearthed nearly Rs. 8.59 crore of cash at four of his premises in Delhi.

Shivakumar was in the custody of the ED till September 17 after which he was remanded to judicial custody and lodged in Tihar jail.

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