Trouble for DK Shivakumar as HC dismisses plea seeking to quash ED summons in money laundering case

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Aug 29, 2019 : The Karnataka high court on Thursday dismissed a petition by former minister DK Shivakumar seeking to quash the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, Yahoo reported.

 

Justice Arvind Kumar dismissed the writ petition by the former water resources minister terming that the petition had no merit.

Reading the order, justice Arvind Kumar said that mere suspicion of authorities that tainted money is flown into the mainstream economy as untainted money is sufficient enough for the authorities to investigate. The high court said the authorities can collect information and record statements even from those who are not offenders.

"In the course of the investigation, the authorities may arrive at a conclusion that there is no necessity for further investigation and the matter at that stage can be dropped. Or in the event of authorities finding any material, it may then proceed to adjudicate. It all depends on circumstances emerging from the investigation," he added.

DK Shivakumar will have to appear before the investigating agency unless he gets relief from the apex court. D K Shivakumar, Water Resources Minister in the previous Congress-JDS coalition government, had filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking directions to quash summons issued by the ED in February this year.

The ED had served summons to Shivakumar and four others asking to be present at the office of the directorate for hearing in a case filed by the directorate in September 2018.

In raids conducted by the Income Tax department in 2017, huge amount of cash was unearthed from the properties of DK Shivakumar.

DK Shivakumar’s lawyer Sandeep Patil said that they would move the Supreme Court.