CBI summons Shivakumar in disproportionate assets case

Bengaluru: Just 48 hours after his daughter's engagement, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) gave a shock by issuing summons to Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D. K. Shivakumar to appear before the agency for questioning on November 23.

Speaking to the media and confirming receiving the summons Shivakumar said, "The CBI investigators had come with the summons to my house on November 19, but I wasn't at home. They have asked me to come at 4 p.m. on November 23."

He added that he had written to the CBI stating that he would be in Basavakalyan and Maski on that day for election campaigning. "I have requested them if I can appear before them for questioning on November 25 instead of November 23," he said.

The CBI registered an FIR against Shivakumar on October 2 stating that he was allegedly in possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 74.93 crore.

The CBI alleged that these assets belong to him and his family members. On October 5, the CBI conducted a search and seizure operation at 14 properties belonging to Shivakumar, including in Karnataka, Delhi and Mumbai.

The CBI had recovered Rs 57 lakh and several allegedly incriminating documents from these properties including bank statements and hard drives. The recovery of Rs 57 lakh was contested by both Shivakuamr and his younger brother and Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha member, D. K. Suresh.

In September 2019, the Karnataka government had granted permission to the CBI to launch a probe against Shivakumar. Subsequently, the Union government too had granted permission after which the CBI began its probe in March 2020 against Shivakumar and his associates.

The CBI's investigation began after the Enforcement Directorate shared information related to his finances with the agency. The ED is currently probing a money laundering case against Shivakumar. He had been arrested in September 2019 and was in Tihar Jail for 51 days before the Delhi High Court granted him bail.

The ED had accused Shivakumar of laundering black money through various proxies including his family members and close associates.