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‘Game of intimidation’: Congress after multiple CBI raids on DK Shivakumar
DK Shivakumar was arrested on September 23 last year by the ED. He is currently out on bail.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday carried out simultaneous raids across the country against Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh, alleging that they had amassed disproportionate assets (DA) worth Rs 74.93 crore, people familiar with the development said.
The agency has alleged that while serving as a cabinet minister in Karnataka, between April 1, 2013 and April 30, 2018 – when Shivakumar held the portfolio of state energy minister his family members amassed illegal wealth to the tune of Rs 74 crore, which is 44.93% of their total income during this period.
The CBI acted against Shivakumar on the basis of a sanction accorded to it by the Karnataka government on September 25, 2019 after the Enforcement Directorate (ED), during a money laundering probe, found that there is scope for an investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
After the state government gave a go-ahead to the CBI to investigate Shivakumar, the Centre too asked the agency to probe his role and others in February this year. The CBI filed a preliminary enquiry (PE) – a precursor to the FIR – in March this year, which, prime facie, revealed that DK Shivakumar amassed the ill-gotten wealth in his name and in the name of his family members.
CBI spokesperson RK Gaur said that raids were conducted at 14 locations - including Karnataka, Delhi, Mumbai and at the premises of Shivakumar and others which led to recovery of Rs 57 lakh cash and several incriminating property documents, bank related information, computer hard disk, etc.
Officials said that the searches started at 6 am at their residence located in Doddallahalli village in Kanakapura constituency, which is represented by Shivakumar in the state assembly. DK Suresh represents Bengaluru Rural in the Lok Sabha.
According to the CBI FIR, reviewed by HT, preliminary inquiry revealed that Shivakumar and his family members had moveable and immovable assets worth Rs 33.92 crore before April 2013, according to his 2013 election affidavit. Between April 2013 and April 2018, the Congress leader and his family members acquired assets, movable and immovable to the tune of Rs 128 crore and the total value of the assets held by them at the end of the said period was at Rs 162 crore, said the CBI FIR.
The FIR adds that their total income and receipts during these five years was Rs 166 crore while their total expenditure was Rs 113 crore. “Therefore, they are found to be in possession of assets disproportionate to the tune of Rs 74.93 crore which is 44.93% of their total income and the same cannot be satisfactorily explained by the accused,” the FIR adds.
Congress instantly condemned the raids, calling it a political vendetta and an “insidious game of intimidation”.
“The insidious game of intimidation & machinations of Modi-Yeddyurappa duo being executed by a puppet CBI by raiding @DKShivakumar won’t deter us. CBI should be unearthing the layers of corruption in Yeddyurappa Govt. But, ‘Raid Raj’ is their only ‘Machiavellian Move’!” Randeep Singh Surjewala, the Congress’ national spokesperson, tweeted.
“Let Modi & Yeddyurappa Govts & BJP’s frontal organizations i.e CBI-ED-Income Tax know that Congress workers & 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 added.
Shivakumar was arrested on September 23 last year by the ED. He is currently out on bail.
