DA case probe: Karnataka Deputy CM Shivakumar appears before Lokayukta

Bengaluru, Aug 22 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday appeared before the Lokayukta police for a probe in connection with a disproportionate assets (DA) case against him.

The Lokayukta police had in February registered a case against Shivakumar, following the Congress government withdrawing consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the DA case against him on November 23, 2023, and referring the case to it.

Speaking to reporters after appearing before the Lokayukta, Shivakumar said: "Lokayukta had issued summons yesterday, I couldn't appear as I was on a visit to Almatti. So I had requested it for today and they had given me time today. For about three hours they have questioned me, they have inquired. I have answered them. They have sought for more documents, so I will submit them." "After studying things", the Lokayukta will once again issue him a notice to appear, he said. "One thing is that CBI is better than them (Lokayukta). They are asking a number of questions and on different things. The CBI has not asked me anything yet, they haven't called me yet. But they (Lokayukta) have called me and are troubling me." Noting that the case has been transferred by the State government from CBI to Lokayukta, Shivakumar said Lokayukta has been probing the case since the last six months.

"...CBI should have stopped the investigation, but they have not stopped. They are harassing all my people. They have still not summoned me, but they are harassing a lot of my friends and relatives. More than hundred people have been harassed. Now these people (Lokayukta) have also started in the same way," he added.

The Supreme Court on July 15 dismissed a petition filed by Shivakumar challenging the CBI's FIR against him in the DA case.

The Supreme Court bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and S C Sharma had said it was not inclined to interfere with the Karnataka High Court order.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by Shivakumar against the October 19, 2023 order of the High Court which rejected his plea.

The HC had also directed the CBI to conclude the investigation and file the report within three months.

The CBI has alleged that Shivakumar amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income between 2013 and 2018. He was a minister in the then Congress government during this period.

The FIR was filed by the CBI on September 3, 2020. Shivakumar challenged the FIR in the High Court in 2021.

The previous BJP government had granted sanction to the CBI to prosecute Shivakumar, following which an FIR was lodged against him and investigation undertaken on alleged charges of disproportionate assets.

The current Karnataka cabinet headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on November 23 last year held that the previous BJP government's move to give consent to the CBI to investigate the DA case against Shivakumar was not in accordance with law and decided to withdraw the sanction. Subsequently a government order was issued in this regard.

Based on the Income Tax Department's search operations in Shivakumar's home and offices in 2017, the Enforcement Directorate started its own probe against him.

Based on the ED investigation, the CBI sought sanction from the state government to file an FIR against Shivakumar. PTI