Shivakumar appears before ED in money laundering case

Shivakumar was summoned by the ED last week. The Congress leader had said he was not aware of the case for which he has been asked to appear before the agency.

Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate here for questioning in a money laundering case.

Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar appeared before the ED for questioning in a money laundering case in New Delhi. (Agencies)

The 60-year-old Congress leader reached the office of the federal agency at A P J Abdul Kalam Road around 12 noon and was seen entering the office after getting a pass made from the front office. He was accompanied by a few persons.

Shivakumar was summoned by the ED last week. The Congress leader had said he was not aware of the case for which he has been asked to appear before the agency.

The agency is understood to have issued him the latest summons after taking cognisance of a CBI case against him linked to alleged possession of disproportionate assets.

“In the midst of the #BharatJodoYatra and the Assembly session, they have again issued me an ED summon to appear. I am ready to cooperate but the timing of this summon and the harassment I am put through, is coming in the way of discharging my constitutional and political duties,” Shivakumar had then tweeted.

The ED had arrested Shivakumar on September 3, 2019 in an another money-laundering case and the Delhi high court granted him bail in October that year.

The IT department has accused Shivakumar, the state Pradesh Congress Committee chief, 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.

The former Karnataka cabinet minister played an instrumental role in ensuring the safe stay of Gujarat Congress MLAs in a Karnataka resort during the Rajya Sabha polls in 2017 amid allegations that the BJP was trying to poach them.