SC refuses to vacate Karnataka HC interim stay on CBI probe against Shivakumar

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Karnataka High Court's interim decision staying a CBI probe against the state's Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar in connection with an alleged corruption case.

A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai, C.T. Ravikumar, and Sanjay Kumar dismissed the special leave petition filed by the central probe agency challenging the interim hold put on by the high court.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Shivakumar, argued that the proceedings pending before the High Court are at an advanced stage of hearing and its interim direction doesn't call for interference by the top court.

"Since the present special leave petition arises out of purely an interlocutory order, we are not inclined to entertain the present petition," the bench ordered while declining to entertain the CBI's appeal.

However, the top granted liberty to the central probe agency to apply before the high court for early disposal of the pending proceedings.

In June, a division bench of the HC's Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Justice M.G.S. Kamal stayed the decision taken by the then BJP-led state government granting sanction to the CBI to prosecute Shivakumar under the Prevention of Corruption Act in a case concerning mining and real estate activities.

Earlier, a single judge bench had vacated the stay order, which resulted in filing of appeal before the divison bench.