In yet another shock to the Congress party, its senior leader DK Shivakumar was sent to Tihar Jail on Thursday. The development came after a Delhi Court had sent him to judicial custody for 14-days. Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar had directed the ED to examine Shivakumar's medical report and then take decisions on sending him to Tihar. Shivakumar was arrested on September 3 due to his alleged involvement in money laundering cases and had been in ED's custody till September 13. Another Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram is in Tihar jail for his alleged involvement in the INX media case. 

READ: DK Shivakumar can cause loss of evidence if released on bail: ED

Cases against Shivakumar and investigations so far

The central agency had in September last year, registered a money laundering case against Shivakumar and Haumanthaiah who was an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, among others. The criminal case was filed on the basis of a charge sheet filed by the Income-tax department against Shivakumar and others before a court in Bengaluru for alleged tax evasion and hawala dealings. The ED also quizzed his daughter Aishwarya under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). During the questioning, the ED recorded Aisshwarya’s statement and confronted with documents and statements made by Shivakumar with regard to the Singapore trip, as per sources. Earlier, Sachin Narayan, Shivakumar’s business associate and a co-director in Zeus constructions Pvt Ltd till 2014 and Dollars Construction private limited, was also questioned in connection with the case. 

READ: DK Shivakumar's daughter summoned by ED in money laundering case

Shivakumar speaks of 'endless custody'

D K Shivakumar on Wednesday told a Delhi court that there was no point keeping him in "endless custody" in the money laundering case since he was not accused of "terrorism" or any other heinous offence. Shivakumar's counsels, A M Singhvi and Mukul Rohatgi, told the court that he had already given information about his around Rs 800 crore property in his election affidavit and "if I (politician) gave wrong information, it can lead to prosecution". Shivakumar, a sitting MLA from Kanakapura assembly is a prominent leader of the Vokkaliga community in the state of Karnataka. Following his arrest, the Vokkaliga community along with Congress cadres have been protesting against the ED and the Centre. 

READ: Congress leader DK Shivakumar sent to judicial custody till Oct 1

READ: Shivakumar arrest: Thousands of Vokkaligas protest in Bengaluru