DK Shivakumar was arrested in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate. (PTI photo)
A Delhi court extended the judicial custody of Congress leader DK Shivakumar, arrested in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate, till October 15 on Tuesday and allowed the probe agency to question him in jail.
Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar sent Mr Shivakumar to further 14-day judicial custody after the ED sought extension of his judicial custody.
The court also granted permission to the ED to question him in Tihar jail, where he is lodged, on October 4 and 5 after ED's Special Public Prosecutors Amit Mahajan, NK Matta and Nitesh Rana said that Mr Shivakumar could not be questioned properly since he had to be admitted to hospital over some ailments.
Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Mr Shivakumar, said the accused had no opposition to the applications. "Even if on bail, I (accused) am willing to cooperate at any extent."
The court had on September 25 declined to grant Mr Shivakumar bail, observing that he was an influential person and if released, may influence the witnesses or tamper with documents.
The ED had in September last year registered the money laundering case against Mr Shivakumar, Haumanthaiah, an employee at the Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, and others.
The case was based on a charge sheet (prosecution complaint) 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.
The I-T department has accused Mr Shivakumar and his alleged associate SK Sharma of transporting huge amount of unaccounted cash on a regular basis through hawala channels with the help of three other accused.