Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar, who was lodged in Tihar jail in connection with a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED),  has been released on Wednesday evening after being granted bail by the Delhi High Court on a Rs 25-lakh bond. However, he cannot leave the country, the court has ruled.

"The Delhi High Court has granted me bail. I thank all those who have stood solidly behind me in this time of crisis. I am back," Shivakumar said after his release as quoted by a news agency.

READ | WATCH: Sonia Gandhi meets DK Shivakumar in Tihar Jail

Not a flight risk

The ED had challenged his bail plea but Justice Suresh Kait who granted bail to Shivakumar said that he is not a flight risk. The judge added that Shivakumar cannot tamper with the evidence as the documents are with the investigating agencies. Shivakumar was arrested by the ED in September in connection with a money laundering case. He was lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody and had challenged the trial court's order denying him bail in the case.

READ | DK Suresh: 'Sonia Gandhi & Cong extend full support to DK Shivakumar'

Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA in Karnataka, was booked along with Haumanthaiah, an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi and others for alleged offenses under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case was based on a charge sheet filed by the Income Tax Department against them last year before a special court in Bengaluru on charges of alleged tax evasion and 'hawala' transactions worth crores of rupees.

The IT department has accused Shivakumar and his alleged associate SK Sharma of indulging in transactions involving huge amounts of unaccounted money on a regular basis through 'hawala' channels with the help of three other accused.

READ | WATCH: Sonia Gandhi meets DK Shivakumar in Tihar Jail

Shivakumar thanks Sonia Gandhi for her support

Shivakumar also thanked party president Sonia Gandhi for supporting him. "She came all the way here to give me strength," the Congress leader said. On Monday Interim Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and her party leader Ambika Soni paid a visit to Shivakumar in Tihar Jail. Shivakumar's brother DK Suresh was also present during the Congress Chief's visit. Shivakumar earlier made headlines in 2017 when he locked up 44 Congress legislators from Gujarat at a resort to prevent them from being approached by rival BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat.

(With PTI inputs)

READ | Sonia Gandhi visits Congress' DK Shivakumar in Tihar jail on Oct 23