Senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar at Karnataka Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. (ANI Photo/File)
Karnataka Bandh Today HIGHLIGHTS: A special court in New Delhi sent Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar to Enforcement Directorate custody till September 13 in a money laundering case. Shivakumar was produced before judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar after he underwent medical checkup at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.
Earlier in the day, Congress leaders, led by General Secretary K C Venugopal, were denied permission to visit D K Shivakumar who was then admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi. Congress leaders have called his arrest as ‘political vendetta’ by the BJP-led central government. Meanwhile, supporters of Shivakumar burned KSRTC buses in Kanakapura of Ramanagara district Wednesday morning to mark their protest against his arrest. Crowds shouting slogans blocked the main roads in Chennapattna, Kanakapura and burned tires. As a precautionary measure, the district administration has declared holiday in schools and colleges on Wednesday.
The state Congress has called for a state-wide bandh following Shivakumar’s arrest in the money laundering case. The case registered by the ED last year is the fall out of an investigation carried out by the income tax department against Shivakumar in 2017 where Rs 8.83 crore in unaccounted cash was found in New Delhi in locations linked to the Congress leader. The ED had in September last year registered the money laundering case against Shivakumar and others based on a chargesheet (prosecution complaint) filed by the Income Tax Department in a court here for alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions worth crores.
After being detained in the morning, Congress leader D K Shivakumar was released from police custody in the evening and sent to Bangalore. (Express photo by Prashant Nadkar)
Highlights
Congress minister D K Shivakumar was arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case. The income tax department carried out searches in August 2017 in premises linked to Shivakumar. The case registered by ED last year is the fall out of an investigation carried out by the income tax department against Shivakumar in 2017 where Rs 8.83 crore in unaccounted cash was found in New Delhi in locations linked to the Congress. Read more here
Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar, who is under Enforcement Directorate's custody, on Wednesday said that "political vendetta" has become stronger than the law in this country. In a video posted from his Twitter handle, Shivakumar is seen sitting on a chair with policemen standing around him. "Political vendetta has become stronger than the law in this country," he is heard saying in the video.
"The allegations made against the accused are serious in nature. The investigation in my considered view would justify the custodial interrogation of the accused keeping in view the nature of the offence," Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar said.
"He has to be confronted with voluminous incriminating material and other crucial aspects of the case with regard to the source of the money and his further interest in the other properties and accounts. Therefore, I consider it to be a fit case for grant of custody of the accused to Enforcement Directorate," the judge added. (PTI)
A special court in New Delhi sent Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar to Enforcement Directorate custody till September 13 in a money laundering case. Shivakumar was produced before judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar after he underwent medical checkup at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.
While in detention, DK Shivakumar tweeted a video of himself saying, "Political vendetta has become more stronger than the law in this country."
A special court in Delhi Wednesday reserved its order on Enforcement Directorate's plea seeking 14-day custodial interrogation of Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar, who is arrested in a money laundering case. Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar would shortly pronounce the order in the matter. (PTI)
Several Youth Congress workers were detained in New Delhi Wednesday following a scuffle with police personnel during a protest against the arrest of the party's Karnataka leader D K Shivakumar. The protesters raised slogans against the government and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah outside the Indian Youth Congress' office in central Delhi. While police barricaded the road leading to Parliament, a number of protesters tried to break through and jostled with police personnel.
"A number of protesters were detained, forced into two buses and taken to Parliament Street and Mandir Marg police stations," Youth Congress' media in-charge Amrish Ranjan Pandey said. He claimed that some of the protesters were injured in police lathicharge and were hospitalised. A senior police official, however, said 66 protesters have been detained but there was no use of force against them. (PTI)
Remand is a rare exception, can't be granted in mechanical manner; ED's plea for custodial interrogation is perverse. Shivakumar has not been given food today, seems it is "slow torture" by ED: Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi tells court (PTI)
Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Shivakumar moves for his bail application and tells the court that the Congress leader had already been quizzed for 33 hours and that he is not a flight risk. Singhvi said unless the probe agency shows something startling has happened, Shivakumar can't be sent to its custody as he never absconded.
Custodial interrogation of Shivakumar necessary as some facts are in his personal knowledge; he tried to misguide probe. Shivakumar is evasive, non-cooperative during probe; there was phenomenal growth in his income when he was in important position. Shivakumar is to be confronted with voluminous documents and custody is needed to unearth illegal properties, ED to court.
Congress leader D K Shivakumar, arrested in a money laundering case, is produced before a CBI court in Delhi where the ED seeks 14-day custodial interrogation. Income Tax investigation and statement of various witnesses have revealed "incriminating evidence" against Shivakumar, ED tells court.
Congress protests in Bengaluru. (Express photo)
As the Congress staged protests in several parts of Karnataka following the arrest of senior party leader D K Shivakumar by the ED, state Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai appealed for "peace". The Minister has also instructed officials to take all necessary steps to maintain law and order.
At several places in the state protests and incidences of burning tires, stone pelting and torching of buses have been reported since last night, Bommai said adding officials are on the job to maintain peace. "They (Congress) can protest peacefully. Maintaining law and order is the duty of the government. Congress was part of the government that just exited office, we expect them to maintain peace," he said.
"It is the duty of Congress leaders to see to that the peace is not disturbed and public property is not destroyed. So I request everyone to maintain peace and help in maintaining law and order. We have to see to that public at large are not affected, and there should be no room for any violence," he told reporters. (PTI)
Parts of Karnataka witnessed intense protests on Wednesday, a day after Congress troubleshooter and former Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case. While violent protests rocked the outskirts of Bengaluru in places like Kanakapura and Ramnagara, the capital city remained largely calm, with schools and colleges open and offices functioning normally. Read more
The BJP on Wednesday said investigating agencies have "strong evidence" against former Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar and rejeced the Congress charge of "political vendetta" behind his arrest.
It has now become fashionable for the Congress leaders to claim vendetta even when specific allegations or specific charges of financial misdemeanor, money laundering and all such financial crimes come to the fore, BJP national spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao told PTI.
(PTI)
Miscreants stoned and damaged bus in protest against the arrest of Congress legislator D K Shivakumar by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in New Delhi.
Congress leaders, led by General Secretary K C Venugopal, were denied to visit D K Shivakumar who is admitted in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi.
Hundreds of Congress workers gather next to the Gandhi statue in Mourya Circle, Bengaluru protesting D K Shivakumar's arrest. (Express Photo)
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Wednesday said the arrest of D K Shivakumar by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is intended to demoralise him and party workers. "As per rules whenever the Income Tax Department and ED called, he responded. He is cooperating. Is he absconding? Why are they doing this? Just to harass and mentally torture him. I condemn this," ANI quoted him as saying.
Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy urges D K Shivakumar’s supporters not to vandalise public property, buses and keep the protests peaceful. The protesters burned some KSRTC buses and blocked traffic in several areas of Chennapattna and Ramanagara.
Protests continue in Karnataka as crowds, shouting slogans, gather in Chennapatna, Kanakapura and burn tyres on the main roads. Traffic affected in some areas.
Statement of Shri KC Venugopal, General Secretary, AICC
"The arrest of Shri D K Shivakumar is a clear case of political vendetta by the fascist BJP government at the centre. After Shri P Chidambaram, yet another leader has been dubiously, vengefully and selectively targetted for standing up against the politics of horse-trading and subversion of mandate practiced by the BJP.
As pliant cohorts in these actions, ED and CBI have proved to be the puppets of the Government at the Centre. In doing so an extremely worrisome and wrong trend has been set by the Modi Government to harass and hunt down and neutralize political opponents with fabricated allegations. Although there are well proved and explicit cases of black money transactions and money laundering during the political horse-trading in Karnataka by the BJP leaders, the central investigating agencies have not registered any cases against them.
D K Shivakumar, being the strong and obedient Congress leader in Karnataka, was always a target of the BJP. Although he unhesitatingly appeared for the questioning and cooperated in investigations, the Enforcement Directorate is seemingly obeying the command from its masters.
It is evident that the government is desperately trying to hide its outright failure in checking the economic slowdown and financial crisis by shamelessly harassing its political opponents. I strongly condemn this politics of vengeance and harassment."
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has said that he is not happy with the arrest of D K Shivakumar and he wishes he comes out of all this. "It’s not that I’m happy with his arrest. I pray to God that @DKShivakumar should come out of all this. In my life, neither have I hated anyone nor wished for something bad to happen to someone. Law will take its own course in such cases," he said.
Senior Congress leader D K Srinivas, who was arrested by the ED yesterday night, was admitted in Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia hospital today due to ill health. B V, Youth Congress President after visiting D K Shivakumar at the hospital, said: "His health has deteriorated due to the harassment he has been subjected to. Doctors have advised him to rest but Enforcement Directorate (ED) is trying to take him away.
KSRTC Bus no. F469 of Kanakapura depot was pelted with stones Wednesday morning by angry Shivakumar supporters.
The Bengaluru-Ramanagara-Mysuru road stands have been blocked in the wake of protests taking place at Ijoor Circle in Ramanagara. The traffic towards the area has been diverted to Magadi, Huliyurudurga, Madduru.
Protesters burn, pelt stones at KSRTC buses in Kanakapura. While a bus (F469) of Kanakapura depot was fully burnt at Chunchi Colony, another bus (F1744) of Harohalli depot was attempted to burn.
With at least ten buses been vandalised by stone-pelting protesters at Satanur Tuesday night, natives of the senior Congress leader in Channapatana and Ramanagara, the state police has asked the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to not operate buses in Ramanagara until a clearance is provided.
Bandh to be effective in Ramanagara and Kanakapura only. No bandh in Bengaluru but Bengaluru-Mysore traffic will be affected. Schools, colleges and offices are functioning normally in the city. Mysore Mandya Coorg traffic to be affected as well.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up near Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's residence and around BJP offices in Ramanagara district and Kanakapura town. However, there is no change in his schedule today.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also jumped in support of Shivakumar, saying that he will come out clean of the investigation and the nation will understand the "ulterior motives of the BJP". "Opposition leaders are being targeted each and every day using central government agencies. It is just an attempt to divert the attention from structural failures of @BJP4India government and also to prevent the voices of dissent. @DKShivakumar is also a victim of their vindictive politics. He will definitely come out clean and the whole country will understand the ulterior motives of @BJP4India. We are all with him in this difficult time and shall provide him with full support," he said on Twitter.
A minister in the Karnataka during the JDS-Congress government, D K Shivakumar is referred to as Congress’ ‘troubleshooter’ and the go-to person in times of crisis. A seven-time legislator, Doddalahalli Kempegowda Shivakumar, popularly known as DKS, has lived up to his “proactive and loyal” image as a leader who puts things back in place for his party.
However, in July this year, his efforts to pacify rebel MLAs so as to keep the coalition government intact failed when the HD Kumaraswamy government lost the trust vote in the Assembly by six votes in a House where 20 coalition MLAs remained absent.
On Tuesday, Shivakumar arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions worth crores. Read more
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao has come out in support of D K Shivakumar, calling his arrest a political vendetta. "With an intention to defame, blackmail and threaten, the Modi govt has launched this politically motivated attack on their opponents. We stand with @DKShivakumar and will fight this Hitler raj of BJP with all our might. We shall not be cowed down," he said on Twitter.
Gundu has also directed all district units of the party to stage protests on Wednesday.