A petitioner Basanagouda Patil Yatnal reacted to the dismissal of his petition and stated “I respect the Court’s decision and will continue to pursue the matter in the Supreme Court. This fight against corruption will not end here.”
It may be recalled that the Karnataka cabinet decided to withdraw consent given to CBI to investigate Shivakumar in the disproportionate assets case in 2023 which was previously accorded by the Bharatiya Janata Party government. The disproportionate assets case was transferred to Karnataka Lokayukta.
In October 2023, Shivakumar moved the High Court of Karnataka asking for quashing the CBI investigation against him and then the High Court had dismissed his plea.
In 2017, Income Tax officials raided the residence and offices of Shivakumar. Acting on IT officials inputs, sleuths of Enforcement Directorate (ED) took up the disproportionate assets case against Shivakumar.
After the ED took up the investigation, CBI sleuths sought permission from the State Government ruled by BJP. The BJP government granted permission for the CBI to register a First Information Report against Shivakumar and FIR was registered against Shivakumar on October 3, 2020. Shivakumar was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) and lodged in Tihar. Shivakumar is on bail.
Welcoming the High Court’s decision, Shivakumar said the Karnataka government has not withdrawn the case but the DA case has been transferred to Karnataka Lokayukta. The previous BJP government led by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa handed over the case to CBI sleuths for investigation. The BJP’s government decision to hand over the case to the High Court was politically motivated.
He said “I have committed anything wrong and that has been my argument then and now as well. I have faith in the judiciary.”
Continuing, he said, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah felt the disproportionate assets case handed over to CBI against me was no right and the case was transferred to Karnataka Lokayukta.
