Bengaluru: Trouble knocks the doors of Water Resource Minister D K Shivakumar and his associates as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed charges in the money laundering case on September 18.
According to PTI, the charges are known to be on hawala transactions and tax evasion.
The ED has booked D K Shivakumar, Hanumanthaiah, and an employee of the Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi. The case is booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Earlier this year, the Income Tax department had raided Shivakumar’s residence in Bengaluru as well as a flat that he owns in Delhi. The department had found bundles of notes being stored at the Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi too, it is said. The amount had summed upto Rs. 20 cr which was then seized by the IT department. Currently, the ED has filed a case based on the IT department’s charge sheets that were submitted to the Special Court in Bengaluru. The ED is expected to issue summons on the accused for recording their statements relating to hawala transaction and tax evasion.
Shivkumar’s associate S K Sharma (proprietor of Sharma Transport) is also an accused for helping in the movement of unaccounted cash through hawala channels.
The IT department officials had earlier said, “D K Shivakumar marked as ‘accused no.1’ had a huge network of people in Delhi and Bengaluru, who helped in the swift movement of unaccounted cash.”
“The other accused in the case are Sachin Narayan, Anjaneya Hanumanthaiah, and N Rajendra”, the department added.
Sachin Narayan is said to be the business associate of Shivakumar and S K Sharma, proprietor of Sharma Transports who is said to have luxury buses and transport vehicles which are given out on rent to various individuals.
Hanumanthaiah is said to be an employee at the Karnataka Bhavan and held responsible for storing huge amount of unaccounted cash. Rajendra, on the other hand, is the caretaker of Shivakumar, who looks after the immovable properties of DKS and Sharma.
D K Suresh, brother of Shivakumar had earlier alleged that BJP State President BS Yeddyurappa had written a letter to the Chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes Sushil Chandra, to probe into the suspicious money movement and corruption.
Though BSY had denied the allegations, Suresh had repeatedly alleged BSY of pressuring the department.
On September 15, D K Shivakumar was granted conditional bail with Rs. 1 lakh bond and Rs. 25000 surety. The other three accused were also penalized with Rs. 25000 surety.
On August 2017 and 2018, DK Shivakumar had to face the music of legal proceeding where he was produced before the Karnataka High Court and Special Court on the case of corruption and finding of Rs. 8 cr in cash at his New Delhi residence.
There were also allegations by the BJP on Shivakumar for having the Gujarat Congress legislators brought at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
