DK Shivakumar, arrested on September 3, was granted bail by the Delhi High Court on October 23.
Highlights
- ED sought for cancellation of bail to Congress leader DK Shivakumar
- Mr Shivakumar was granted bail by Delhi High Court on October 23
- ED opposed his bail plea saying he was an influential person
The Enforcement Directorate's request to cancel bail to Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar in a money laundering case was rejected today by the Supreme Court which said: "This is not the way to treat your citizens," the top court said in sharp words to the investigating agency, which was also accused of copy-pasting chunks from court documents of former union minister P Chidambaram and using them in their arguments against Mr Shivakumar's bail.
A bench comprising Justices RF Nariman and S Ravindra Bhat rejected the request of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Enforcement Directorate.
"Read our judgement on Sabarimala and tell your officials to obey our orders," Justice Nariman said, referring to the minority judgment that he had written on petitions challenging the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala shrine.
While the Supreme Court referred the petitions to a larger bench, the minority judgment was to dismiss the petitions.
The minority judgment termed the ban on the entry to "unarmed women" into the Sabarimala temple a "sad spectacle" and said that the Supreme Court's 2018 order was "non-negotiable" and no person or authority can flout it.
The government lawyer told the judges to "remove the impression" that Supreme Court orders are not obeyed. To which, Justice Nariman replied: "The impression is stuck and irremovable."
Mr Shivakumar, arrested on September 3, was granted bail by the Delhi High Court on October 23.
The high court had granted him bail saying he "cannot tamper with the evidence as the documents are with the investigating agencies".
The agency had opposed his bail plea saying DK Shivakumar was an influential person and he could tamper with evidence and influence witnesses if released.
Mr Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA in Karnataka, was charged along with Hanumanthaiah -- an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi -- and others for alleged offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The case was based on a chargesheet filed by the Income Tax Department last year before a special court in Bengaluru listing charges of alleged tax evasion and "hawala" transactions worth crores or rupees.
Tax officials say Mr Shivakumar and his alleged associate SK Sharma were part of transactions involving huge amounts of unaccounted money on a regular basis.