The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed a prosecution complaint against Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar and others in connection with an alleged money-laundering case.
The prosecution complaint has been filed under the various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, following investigations into the case registered by the agency in September 2018 against Mr. Shivakumar, A. Hanumanthaiah, who worked at Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi, and others.
Responding to this, Mr. Shivakumar accused the ruling BJP of “using all political tools” against him. “Whoever is a political problem to them [BJP], they try to eliminate and make them surrender," the KPCC president said.
He further said: “An interim charge sheet should have been filed within 60 days; but they seem to have done a major investigation for three years.” He pointed out that he had got bail in the case. “They tried to have the bail cancelled, but the Supreme Court did not agree,” he said.
Background
The ED had initiated the probe on the basis of an Income Tax Department charge sheet also involving allegations about use of “hawala” channels for transferring money. The agency had arrested Mr. Shivakumar in September 2019 and he was later released on bail.
Ahead of his arrest, the ED had summoned 51 people – including his wife – for recording their statements. Among those questioned were also some alleged “hawala” operators. More than 50 individuals operating over 300 bank accounts had come under the agency’s scanner.
