DK Shivakumar likely to move Delhi HC for bail on Monday

Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar, who is in the custody of Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged money laundering and other financial irregularities, is likely to apply for bail in the Delhi High Court on Monday, according to sources close to him.

Since being remanded to ED custody, the former minister has been lodged at the Tughlaq Lane police station in the capital. He is taken to  the ED for interrogation during the day and returned to the police station at night, saysources.

As he is allowed a half- an- hour visiting time every day, his brother, D K Suresh, and brother-in-law and Kunigal MLA, Dr Ranganath,  see him regularly, they add.

Although his wife and children too are keen on visiting him, Mr Shivakumar has reportedly asked them not to, to protect them from the media glare.

Sources say the family wanted to approach the Delhi High Court for his bail on Friday,  but based on his advocate's advice, they have decided to file the bail petition on Monday.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister, H D Kumaraswamy who visited Mr Shivakumar's mother in Doddalahalli near Kanakapura on Friday, once again accused the Centre  of misusing Income Tax and ED officials..

“When Rs 30 crore each was spent on  hijacking JD(S) legislators,  no raids were conducted against those who were behind the operation,” he said. Claiming that the BJP was in particular targeting Vokkaliga leaders of the state, Mr Kumaraswamy charged that businessman, V G Siddarth committed suicide as he was hounded by the I-T department.

“Every community should be respected. There was no need to take him(Shivakumar) into custody for questioning.  The BJP says it does not indulge in  politics of revenge, but this is proof that it does,” he charged.