CBI moves SC against withdrawal of consent by K'taka govt to probe case against DK Shivakumar

PTI New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Karnataka government's decision to withdraw its consent to the probe agency for investigating a disproportionate assets (DA) case against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. The current Karnataka cabinet headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on November 23, 2023, held the previous BJP government's 2019 move to give consent to the CBI to investigate the DA case against Shivakumar was not in accordance with law and decided to withdraw the sanction as a result.

On August 29, the Karnataka High Court held as "non-maintainable" a petition filed by the CBI and a BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal challenging the Congress government's decision to withdraw the consent. Patil, however, challenged the high court order in the top court which sought responses from Shivakumar and the state government.

On September 17, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notices to Shivakumar and the state government on the plea by Patil. On August 29, the high court had dismissed the plea, which also challenged the state government's December 26, 2023 order referring the Rs 74.93 crore DA case to the Lokayukta for investigation. The CBI had alleged that Shivakumar amassed assets disproportionate to his sources of income between 2013 and 2018.