Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar said he has been asked by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before it on February 22, while his daughter Aishwarya has been served notice by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The former Minister, who is currently undertaking Praja Dhwani Yatre as part of the party's preparations for the coming Assembly polls, alleged that the ED and CBI are "directed" only at opposition leaders and not at those from the ruling party.
Speaking on Wednesday, February 8, he said, "Everyday notices are coming, yesterday it has come to my daughter, it has come to our college, regarding fees paid, exam passed. CBI has issued the notice. What should I say? If they are questioning me about college fees payment, imagine what all they are asking.” He added, "I have answered to ED and come back regarding what I have given to National Herald, again they are asking me to appear before ED on February 22. What to do? Should I go ahead with Praja Dwani Yatre?”
"It (ED and CBI inquiries) is only against opposition parties and not the ruling party. Irrespective of the thousands of crores they may have amassed, no ED questions them," he added. Shivakumar had earlier appeared before the ED in Delhi for questioning in the National Herald money laundering case.
The Kanakapura MLA first got into the ED crosshairs when he was arrested by the agency on September 3, 2019 following multiple rounds of questioning in a case that emerged from an Income Tax department action against him. The Delhi High Court had granted him bail in October of that year. In May last year, the agency filed a charge sheet against him and some others linked to him in this case. He was questioned by the ED in September, in another money laundering case linked to the alleged possession of disproportionate assets.
The 2019 case was registered after taking cognisance of a chargesheet (prosecution complaint) filed by the I-T department against them the previous year before a special court in Bengaluru, on charges of alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions worth crores. The I-T department has accused Shivakumar and his alleged associates of transporting huge amounts of unaccounted cash on a regular basis through hawala' channels with the help of three other accused.
CBI officials had earlier conducted searches in educational institutions run by Shivakumar in connection with a case of disproportionate assets which is under investigation. Shivakumar is the chairman of the National Education Foundation (NEF) and his daughter DK S Aishwarya is trustee secretary, while other family members are trustees.