SC rejects Shivakumar’s plea to quash CBI’s disproportionate assets case

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the plea filed by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar seeking quashing of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheet against him alleging disproportionate attachment of his assets under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by the Deputy Chief Minister against the order of the Karnataka High Court, which had earlier dismissed his plea.

The CBI moved the Karnataka High Court after the state government dropped the CBI case against Shivakumar. The High Court was hearing the petition filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal, in which he challenged the withdrawal of the state government’s consent for the CBI investigation.

The Supreme Court had earlier refused to interfere with the Karnataka High Court’s interim order staying the proceedings against Congress leader Shivakumar in a disproportionate assets case.

The Congress-led Karnataka government in November approved a proposal to withdraw the CBI probe against Shivakumar in the alleged disproportionate assets case.

The decision led to a huge political battle in the state between the BJP and the Congress, with the former criticising the state cabinet’s decision as “totally illegal”.

The CBI was investigating a case filed against the deputy CM for allegedly owning assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Earlier, Income Tax sleuths had conducted a probe against him.

In 2017, the Income Tax Department raided DK Shivakumar’s home, leading to an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate. The CBI later sought permission from the state government to file an FIR against him based on the findings of the ED investigation.

On September 25, 2019, the sanction was granted and on October 3, 2020, Shivakumar was charged by the CBI under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

First print: Jul 15, 2024 | 2:48 PM IST