Supreme Court Upholds CBI Probe Against Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar

In a significant setback for Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the Supreme Court has dismissed his petition challenging the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) FIR in the disproportionate assets case. The CBI alleges that Shivakumar amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income between 2013 and 2018.

In a major setback for Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed his petition challenging the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR in the disproportionate assets case against him.

A bench of justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma upheld the Karnataka High Court's earlier decision, refusing to grant relief to Shivakumar. ''Sorry. Dismissed,'' the bench succinctly remarked.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Shivakumar, argued that the CBI commenced investigations without the required sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Moreover, he contended, the Income Tax (IT) department was already looking into the same matter.

The top court, however, was not persuaded, allowing the CBI's investigation to proceed. The high court had earlier directed the CBI to conclude its probe and file a report within three months. The CBI accuses Shivakumar of amassing assets beyond his known income sources from 2013 to 2018, a period when he served as a minister in the previous Congress government.

The CBI's FIR was lodged on September 3, 2020, following a search and seizure operation conducted by the IT department in 2017. Despite multiple legal challenges from Shivakumar, including a challenge to the state government's sanction for the FIR, the courts have consistently ruled against him.

(With inputs from agencies.)