The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar on a personal bond of Rs 25 lakh in connection with a money laundering case. Justice Suresh Kait granted relief to the Congress leader saying that Shivakumar is not a flight risk. The court, however, asked the Congress leader to surrender his passport.
The judge also said that Shivakumar cannot tamper with evidence as documents are with investigating agencies and there was no material to show he has influenced witnesses. The court directed that he be released on bail on furnishing a bond of Rs 25 lakh and two sureties of like amount. The judge also directed Shivakumar to appear for investigation whenever the ED issues summons.
Shivakumar, 57, was arrested by the ED on September 3 in the money laundering case. He is lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody. He has challenged the trial court's order denying him bail in the case.
Justice Suresh Kait had reserved the order on October 17 on the leader's bail plea in which he claimed that the case was a result of political rivalry and there was not enough evidence against him. He also had cited medical reasons as one of the grounds for seeking bail. The ED had opposed his bail plea saying he was an influential person and, if released, he could tamper with evidence and influence witnesses.
Shivakumar's younger brother and Bengaluru Rural MP D.K. Suresh, who too has been interrogated by the ED in the case, said that his brother got a bail due to the blessings of all his well wishers. "For the last 50 days, we suffered a lot of mental trauma. Our senior counsels have done exemplary work in throwing light on the case. My brother has got conditional bail," said Suresh, adding that it was just the beginning of good days for Shivakumar.
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Earlier in the day, AICC interim president Sonia Gandhi met Shivakumar in Tihar jail. Incidentally, the Delhi High Court on Thursday will be hearing separate pleas of Shivakumar's wife Usha and mother Gowramma, challenging the ED summons issued to them.
Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA in Karnataka, was booked along with Hanumanthaiah—an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi—and others for alleged offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case was based on a charge sheet filed by the Income Tax Department against them last year before a special court in Bengaluru on charges of alleged tax evasion and 'hawala' transactions worth crores or rupees.
The I-T department has accused Shivakumar and his alleged associate S K Sharma of indulging in transactions involving huge amounts of unaccounted money on a regular basis through 'hawala' channels with the help of three other accused.
(With inputs from Prathima Nandakumar)