Karnataka Congress MLA Appears Before Probe Agency In DK Shivakumar Case

Karnataka Congress MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar today appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi in connection with the money laundering case against her senior party colleague DK Shivakumar, officials said.

They said the woman MLA, who represents Belagavi (Rural) assembly constituency, arrived at the agency's office near Delhi in Khan Market at around 11 am.

The investigating officer of the case is expected to record her statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act or PMLA. She will be confronted with the statements made by DK Shivakumar and others, they said.

Ms Hebbalkar had earlier confirmed to news agency Press Trust of India the receipt of the summons to her.

DK Shivakumar, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate or ED on September 3 in a money laundering case, was on Tuesday remanded in judicial custody for 14 days till October 1 by a Delhi court.

The former minister was in the probe agency's custody since his arrest. The agency had earlier summoned his daughter Aisshwarya in connection with the case and had recorded her statement.

Three other alleged associates of DK Shivakumar have also been questioned by the ED.

It had in September last year registered the money laundering case against DK Shivakumar, Haumanthaiah, an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, and others.

The case was registered based on a chargesheet (prosecution complaint) filed by the Income Tax Department against them last year before a special court in Delhi on charges of alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions worth crores.