BENGALURU: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday morning conducted raids at 14 locations linked to the KPCC President DK Shivkumar and his brother DK Suresh and recovered around Rs 50 lakhs cash during searches.
According to official sources, the CBI has registered a case against “then Minister of Karnataka Government and others on the allegations of acquisition of Disproportionate Assets.”
The search operation may be expanded during the day, the officials said.
The CBI has registered a fresh case against the Congress leader based on a source information from another agency.
The information relates to assets amassed during Shivakumar's tenure as a minister in Karnataka, they said.
Following the registration of FIR, CBI teams started searches on Monday morning at 14 locations -- nine in Karnataka, four in Delhi and one in Mumbai.
"CBI has registered a case against the then minister of the Karnataka government and others on the allegations of acquisition of disproportionate assets. Searches are being conducted today at 14 locations including nine in Karnataka, four in Delhi, one in Mumbai," the CBI said in a statement.
According to the KPCC spokesperson Suraj Urs, Shivkumar, Suresh along with party workers and election coordinators were about to about to hold a preparatory meeting for forthcoming Assembly by polls in Karnataka at Shivakumar’s house in Sadashivanagar in the city, when the CBI raided his residence.
The CBI action has been strongly condemned by the State Congress leader’s Siddaramaiah and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
The latter in his tweet has mentioned CBI, ED and Income Tax as frontal agencies of the BJP government.
The CBI raids come close on the forthcoming Assembly bypolls in Sira and RR Nagar on November 3.
Meanwhile, youth Congress members protested in front of Shivakumar's residence condemning the raid.
There was also a heated argument between the police and party workers.
Karnataka Congress in-charge General Secretary, Randeep Singh Surjewala in his tweet said,"insidious game of intimidation and machinations of Modi-Yeddyurappa duo being executed by a puppet CBI by raiding D K Shivakumar won’t deter us. CBI should be unearthing the layers of corruption in Yeddyurappa Govt. But, ‘Raid Raj’ is their only ‘Machiavellian Move’."
"Let Modi and Yeddyurappa Governments and BJP’s frontal organizations - CBI-ED-Income Tax know that Congress workers and leaders will not be cowed down nor bow down before such devious attempts. Our resolve to fight for people & expose BJP’s maladministration only becomes stronger." He said further.
Adding to this, Karnataka Leader of Opposition and former CM Siddaramiah said BJP has always tried to indulge in vindictive politics and mislead public attention.
The latest CBI raid on Shivakumar's house is another attempt to derail our preparation for bypolls.
"I strongly condemn this.'' he said.
Senior Congress leader and former minister Dinesh Gundurao also condemned the incident and dubbed the raids as politically motivated ones on Shivakumar and his family.
"With by elections in Sira and RR Nagara announced, the raids reveal the BJP’s real intentions. The day they’ll pay a heavy price for these vengeful actions is fast approaching," he said.
Congress spokesperson A S Ponnanna, who is also a senior advocate in the High Court of Karnataka, claimed that the court had asked the CBI not to precipitate as Shivakumar had questioned the permission given by the Karnataka government to the CBI to probe the alleged corruption charges against him.
"I'm surprised politics is down to this level. CBI has to function under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, under which if they have to come to a state and investigate, they have to get permission from the state government, the permission that was given has been questioned by Shivakumar," he said.
"The court had said do not precipitate, what I have understood from this is- they (CBI) should have not have acted. They should have got it vacated from the court and acted, after permission from the court," Ponnanna, who served as an additional advocate general during the Congress government, said, adding that the investigation should be fair and lawful.
Shivakumar was arrested on September 23 last year by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case and was lodged in the Tihar jail under judicial custody.
The Congress leader was released from the jail on October 23 after the Delhi High Court granted him bail.
(With PTI Inputs)