New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought Wednesday a 14-day custodial interrogation of Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar, arrested in a money laundering case, in a court here. DK Shivakumar, arrested on Tuesday night, was produced before Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar. He was brought to the court after he underwent medical checkup at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital here.
The ED told the court that Income Tax investigation and statement of various witnesses have revealed ‘incriminating evidence’ against Shivakumar.
The agency claimed that Shivakumar was ‘evasive and non-cooperative’ during the probe and there was phenomenal growth in his income while he was in an important position.
The ED said the custody is required as he has to be confronted with voluminous documents and to unearth illegal properties.
Custodial interrogation of Shivakumar was necessary as some facts are in his personal knowledge, the ED told the court, adding that he tried to misguide the investigation.
Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj and advocate NK Matta are representing the ED, while senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Dayan Krishnan are appearing for 57-year-old Shivakumar.
Abhishek Singhvi opposed the ED’s plea for custodial interrogation. He said the agency’s submission was without ‘application of mind’ as Shivakumar has already been quizzed for 33 hours and he was not a flight risk.
Unless ED shows that something startling and new has happened, Shivakumar cannot be sent to its custody as he never absconded, contended Singhvi.
A bail application was also moved on behalf of Shivakumar and his counsels, including Krishnan, submitted that the whole case was based upon Income Tax search which started from August 2017 and the search leads to an I-T complaint filed on June 13, 2018.
“This is the foundation of the entire charge against me (Shivakumar). The remand application itself says Income Tax, and this is the offence with respect to which money laundering is done,” Singhvi said.
The former cabinet minister and sitting MLA from Kanakapura seat had appeared before the ED for questioning, Tuesday for the fourth time at its headquarters here. After a long session of grilling, Shivakumar was placed under arrest as per provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
PTI