K'taka HC rejects CBI plea to continue probe against DKS

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday held as "non-maintainable" a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging the Congress government's decision to withdraw consent to it for investigating a disproportionate assets (DA) case against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

A division bench also dismissed the plea challenging the State government's December 26, 2023 order referring the Rs 74.93 crore DA case to the Lokayukta for investigation.

In a 67-page judgment, the High Court stated that the issues raised in the petition should be addressed by the Supreme Court. The CBI had earlier alleged that Shivakumar amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income between 2013 and 2018.

He was a minister in the previous Congress government during this period. The previous BJP government authorized the CBI to prosecute Shivakumar for disproportionate assets, leading to an FIR and investigation.

On November 23, the current Karnataka Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, declared this action unlawful and decided to withdraw the sanction.

Knew I would get justice: DKS

Affirming his faith in the judiciary, DKS said that he knew that he would get justice because he never did anything wrong.

"I have grown up in politics after much struggle but the BJP has been conspiring against me...they (BJP) had sent me to jail in the past under the PMLA. I had then said that I would get justice. The ED case against me was dismissed. I had contended then and now also that I have not done anything wrong," DKS said.