In a setback for DK Shivakumar, the Karnataka High Court on Friday dismissed the Congress leader’s plea seeking protection from arrest. DK Shivakumar was served a summons by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday night and Friday morning, he moved the court seeking interim protection. The Congress MLA is currently on his way to New Delhi to appear before the ED at the agency’s office in connection with a Rs 7-crore money laundering case.
The ED had opposed the leader's writ petition, with ED counsel MB Nargund filing objections to Shivakumar's plea, and had requested for its dismissal.
Speaking to the media earlier on Friday, DK Shivakumar had called the timing of the summons 'malafide' but stated that he will cooperate with the probe.
“I have received a summons from ED late last night (Thursday) at 9.40 pm asking for me to appear at 1 pm in Delhi today (Friday). Although the sudden scheduling by ED is malafide, I believe in the rule of law and will definitely participate and fully cooperate with them and abide by the law of our country,” DK Shivakumar said.
On Thursday, Karnataka High Court judge Arvind Kumar had dismissed DK Shivakumar’s plea to quash the Enforcement Directorate’s summons to question him. Just a day after the petition was dismissed, the ED summoned DK Shivakumar for questioning.
DK Shivakumar has also alleged that the Income Tax Department’s search and seizure operation carried out at his home and properties owned by him and his associates in August 2017 was politically motivated.
The case against DK Shivakumar and two others was filed by the Enforcement Directorate in September 2018. The case is related to unaccounted cash unearthed by the Income Tax Department during raids in properties owned by Shivakumar and his associates in August 2017. More than Rs 7 crore in unaccounted cash was allegedly recovered by Income Tax sleuths from properties owned by the senior Congress leader in New Delhi, including from his Safdarjung Enclave residence.
DK Shivakumar was then booked under Section 120(b) of the Income Tax Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. His business associates Sachin Narayan, Sunil Kumar Sharma (owners of Sharma Travels) were also booked and Anjaneya Hanumant and Rajendran – employees of Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, where the cash was found, were named as the co-accused.