ED summons DK Shivakumar in money laundering case; Karnataka Cong leader says ready to cooperate, but questions timing

New Delhi: Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar has received fresh summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday in connection with a money laundering case. Shivakumar has said that he was ready to cooperate with the probe agency, but questioned the timing of the summons.

The Karnataka Congress leader alleged that he was being harassed and was unable to discharge his constitutional and political commitments.

Shivakumar further said that the ED notice came in the midst of the Congress ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ which is set to reach Karnataka in few days. He also said that the Karnataka Assembly session is also underway.

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.

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) September 15, 2022

The ED has been asked Shivakumar to appear before its Delhi office.

A Delhi court, in August this year, had granted bail to Shivakumar and other people accused in 2018 money laundering cased registered by the ED.

According to the agency, Shivakumar, who was a state minister during the Congress rule in Karnataka, had generated huge amount of illegal and unaccounted cash and a criminal conspiracy was hatched with other co-accused persons for tax evasion and the tainted cash was transported from Bengaluru to Delhi.

Raids were carried out by the Income Tax Department 2 August, 2017, at various locations in Delhi belonging to the accused people and seized unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 8,59,69,100.

The I-T Department had filed chargesheet against Shivakumar and others before a court in Bengaluru for alleged tax evasion and hawala dealings. Based on the I-T department action, the ED filed the money laundering case.

Shivakumar and his associate SK Sharma were accused by the I-T Department of transporting huge amount of unaccounted cash on a regular basis through 'hawala' channels with the help of three other accused.

Shivakumar's daughter Aisshwarya and Congress MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar were also questioned by the ED in connection with the money laundering case.

With inputs from agencies

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