DK Shivakumar money-laundering case: ED files additional status report

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday, October 14, submitted an additional status report before the Delhi High Court in an alleged money-laundering case filed against Congress leader D K Shivakumar. The court asked the ED to serve a copy of the report to Shivakumar's lawyers. The Congress leader was arrested by the investigating agency last month. He is currently lodged in judicial custody in Delhi's Tihar jail and his remand is scheduled to end tomorrow. 

The hearing in the bail plea adjourned till tomorrow

Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate also filed a reply on Shivakumar's bail plea. He moved the High Court after a trial court rejected his bail application saying he was not entitled to avail it at that stage of the investigation. As Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was unavailable, the hearing in the bail plea was adjourned for tomorrow. Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan appeared for Shivakumar, while advocate Amit Mahajan represented the agency during the proceedings today.

READ | ED charge sheet against DK Shivakumar ready, to be filed before the time

The case against DK Shivakumar 

The ED case against DK Shivakumar is based on the charge sheet filed by the Income Tax (I-T) department in 2018. Essentially, the I-T department raided 60 properties of Shivakumar and his associates in August 2017. It recovered nearly Rs 8.59 crore of cash at four of his premises in Delhi. The I-T department accused him of regularly transporting unaccounted cash through the Hawala network with the help of his four associates namely, Sachin Narayan, Sunil Kumar Sharma, Anjaneya Hanumanthaiah and N Rajendran. These associates were booked for abetment of false returns and giving false evidence. According to the I-T department, Shivakumar was instrumental in setting up a web of persons in Delhi and Bengaluru to transport and utilize the unaccounted cash. All of them were accused of tax evasion too.

READ | DK Shivakumar's judicial custody extended, ED to quiz him in jail

After the Karnataka High Court dismissed Shivakumar’s plea for quashing the ED summons on August 29, he was interrogated for 4 straight days. Thereafter, he was formally arrested. His brother and Member of Parliament DK Suresh too has been summoned by the ED. DK Shivakumar has called his arrest "political vendetta". 

READ | DK Shivakumar's brother and Congress MP DK Suresh summoned by ED

READ | Congress leader DK Shivakumar moves Delhi High Court seeking bail

(With ANI inputs)