Supreme Court Upholds CBI Probe Against Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar

The Supreme Court rejected Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's plea to quash the CBI's disproportionate assets case against him. The court upheld the Karnataka High Court's decision, maintaining the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's petition to annul the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) disproportionate assets case. This plea sought to invalidate actions taken under the Prevention of Corruption Act, focusing on alleged financial discrepancies.

The CBI had initially turned to the Karnataka High Court after the state government attempted to terminate the investigation against Shivakumar. The High Court, responding to a challenge from BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal, had previously refused to quash the case, sustaining the CBI's involvement.

The controversy escalated in November when the Congress-led state government decided to retract the CBI probe, sparking a fierce political tussle with the BJP, who deemed the move "totally illegal." The CBI's case, supported by earlier Income Tax Department findings and Enforcement Directorate investigations, alleges that Shivakumar possesses assets disproportionate to his known income.

(With inputs from agencies.)