A Delhi court on Wednesday granted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) 9-day custody of Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar, who was arrested by the agency officials on Tuesday night under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a money-laundering case against him. DK Shivakumar will be produced before the special CBI court on September 13 after the custodial interrogation. The court has allowed DK's family members and lawyers to meet him daily for half an hour each. Furthermore, DK Shivakumar’s counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Dayan Krishnan appealed the court to allow him to address his supporters who have come to the court before he is taken into ED custody.

The Congress leader was arrested by the ED after four consecutive days of grilling in the case. Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar of the Delhi Court pronounced the verdict after hearing ED's plea, seeking 14-days custody of DK Shivakumar, in the case. While DK Shivakumar's lawyers opposed the ED's plea for custodial interrogation, additional Solicitor General K M Natraj and advocate N K Matta, who were representing the ED, maintained that the Congress leader has been evasive and non-cooperative during the interrogation. 

READ | DK Shivakumar confronted on ED's "non-cooperative" claim, his reply

Money-laundering case against DK Shivakumar

The former cabinet minister and sitting MLA from Kanakapura seat had appeared before the ED for questioning on Tuesday for the fourth time at its headquarters in Delhi. The ED had in September 2018 registered a money laundering case against Shivakumar and others. The money-laundering case was filed against him and others based on a charge sheet (prosecution complaint) filed by the Income Tax Department against them in 2018 before a special court in Bengaluru. The IT charge sheet was filed on the charges of alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions worth crores.

READ | BJP's Yediyurappa says 'not happy with DK Shivakumar's arrest'

Congress leaders protest against DKS's arrest

Backing the Karnataka leader, the Congress party on Tuesday cried vendetta politics over his arrest. Shortly after DK Shivakumar's arrest by ED, several incidents of violence were reported across different parts of Karnataka on Wednesday protesting against the actions of the ED. Congress workers took to streets of Karnataka, reportedly clashing and stone-pelting on the state-owned buses. Reports of Congress workers allegedly shutting down the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway also emerged. Several Youth Congress workers were also detainment following a brawl with police officials during protests against DK's arrest.

READ | DK Shivakumar's arrest: Protesting Youth Cong workers detained

READ | DK Shivakumar chargesheet details accessed after his arrest by ED

(With agency inputs)