Bengaluru, Feb 13 (PTI) The Karnataka Lokayukta police has registered a case against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar anticipating a transfer of a disproportionate assets probe to itself from the CBI, which is currently investigating it.
The Karnataka cabinet in November last year withdrew the previous BJP government’s decision to accord sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute Shivakumar, who is also Congress state unit President, in the disproportionate assets case registered against him, saying it was not in accordance with the law.
The Lokayukta police are anticipating the transfer of the case from the CBI to Lokayukta, a senior Lokayukta officer said, but acknowledged that the state government’s order of withdrawing sanction has been disputed by the CBI in the Karnataka High Court.
“The Lokayukta is bound by the state government orders. As per the state government’s order we have registered a case. We are waiting for the court’s outcome to see if the case is transferred to us,” the officer told PTI.
He said there is no bar as of now on Lokayukta to investigate the case as the court has not put any restrictions.
The officer, however, added: “Without CBI transferring the case documents, there isn’t much we can do right now except some basic investigation. For some meaningful investigation to happen, we are waiting for the High Court order and we will act as per its directions.” Reacting to it, Shivakumar said it was wrong on the part of B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government to approve the CBI investigation against him. This is why the Congress government withdrew the permission and handed over the matter to the Lokayukta.
“I haven’t done anything wrong. The then Advocate General (of Karnataka) had told me that my case cannot be assigned to the CBI. I have obtained those documents through the Right to Information (RTI) Act,” the Deputy CM claimed.
He complained that despite the state government withdrawing permission to investigate him, the CBI has been issuing notices.
“Even after the government withdrew permission to investigate me, the CBI is issuing hundreds of notices to my organisations and those who have done business with me. I don’t know why they are serving notices,” D K Shivakumar wondered. PTI GMS SDP ROH
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