New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to lift the stay order passed by Karnataka High Court on a CBI probe against Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in a corruption case.
The bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi passed the order, asking Shivakumar’s response in a plea by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to lift the stay on its probe against him.
The bench, comprising Justices Anirudha Bose and Bela M Trivedi, was hearing CBI’s plea against Karnataka High Court granting an interim stay on the central agency’s probe against Shivakumar in the case concerning irregularities in mining and real estate activities.
Earlier, in June as well, the top court had refused to lift the High Court’s stay on the CBI probe.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appeared for the CBI before the Supreme Court during the day.
On April 20 a plea was filed by Shivakumar to quash the State Home Department’s order in the case, which was dismissed by Justice R Natarajan of the High Court.
The Congress leader then moved a division bench of the High Court in appeal, which granted him interim relief by staying the CBI investigation until his challenge is decided by the Court.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar was made the deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka after a new State government was formed by the Congress party, which won the State Assembly polls in May.
The High Court’s June 2023 order of interim stay on the CBI probe against Shivakumar was then challenged before the Supreme Court by the central agency.
The corruption case against Shivakumar was filed after a search was carried out by the Income Tax Department in 2017.
During the search, which was conducted at various locations including Delhi, ₹8.59 crores was found. Out of that, ₹41 lakh rupees was found at a place belonging to Shivakumar.
Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a case against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Shivakumar was arrested in connection with the case on September 3, 2019.
However, he was later released on bail following an order from the Delhi High Court, which was confirmed by the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, on September 9 that year, relying on the ED’s letter, the then Bharatiya Janata Party-led State government allowed the CBI to conduct an investigation into the matter as well.
