CBI raids K’taka Cong chief Shivakumar’s house, recovers Rs 57 lakh
New Delhi: Close on the heels of the announcement of dates for bye-elections for two Assembly seats in Karnataka, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided 14 locations associated with Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar and his brother Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha MP D.K. Suresh on Monday and recovered cash to the tune of Rs 57 lakh from several people.
The CBI launched the raids at around 6 a.m. on Monday, and as the news spread, scores of supporters started gathering in front of his house.
The action comes after the CBI registered a case against Shivakumar and others over possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 74.93 crore in his name and in the name of his family members.
The case was registered against him and others after the notification from the Centre on the recommendation of Karnataka government.
An official said that searches are being conducted at 14 locations including nine in Karnataka, four in Delhi and one in Mumbai.
The CBI team also carried out searches at the flats owned by Shivakumar in south Delhi’s upscale Safdarjung Enclave area.
According to CBI sources, till now Rs 57 lakh has been recovered from various locations.
The agency team also recovered several incriminating documents including property documents, bank-related information, computer hard disks etc.
The Congress leaders launched scathing attacks on the union government, with party General Secretary Randeep Surjewala terming it “raid raj” and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah terming it as an effort by the BJP government at the Centre to derail the Congress party’s preparations for the bypolls.
Taking to Twitter, Surjewala charged that “the insidious game of intimidation and machinations of Modi-Yeddyurappa duo being executed by a puppet CBI by raiding Shivakumar won’t deter them… The CBI should be unearthing the layers of corruption in Yeddyurappa govt”.
He further added “Let Modi and Yeddyurappa governments and BJP’s frontal organisations ie CBI-ED-Income Tax know that Congress workers and leaders will not be cowed down nor bow down before such devious attempts.”
“Our resolve to fight for people and expose BJP’s maladministration only becomes stronger,” Surejewala added.
Last year in September, the Karnataka Congress chief was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, based on a charge sheet filed by the Income Tax department against him.
He was accused of routing unaccounted money through hawala channels with the help of others. Under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Shivakumar was charged with tax evasion and ‘hawala’ transactions worth crores of rupees.