SC Refuses to Intervene With Stay on CBI Probe Against DK Shivakumar

The Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister is currently embroiled in an alleged corruption case.

(Photo: PTI)

The Supreme Court, on Monday, 31 July, refused to intervene with the Karnataka High Court order, which had stayed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation in an alleged corruption case against Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar.

The case: The corruption case in question, was based on the Income Tax (IT) raids in 2017 on multiple properties belonging to Shivakumar.

In the Supreme Court: A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices BR Gavai, CT Ravikumar, and Sanjay Kumar declined to intervene because the case is already pending before the High Court.

“The petitioner would be at liberty to request the high court for expeditious disposal which shall be considered by the high court on its own merits," the bench said, according to LiveLaw.

What happened at HC: The High Court had put a stay on the central agency's actions against the leader of the Congress party on 10 February and the latest stay came in June after interim extensions.

More About The Case & How The CBI Got Involved

The corruption case in question, was based on the Income Tax (IT) raids in 2017 on multiple properties belonging to Shivakumar. Following the IT probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated a money laundering case against him.

Subsequently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) requested permission from the state government, led by BJP leader BS Yediyurappa in 2019, to register a case against Shivakumar, and the sanction was granted.

Shivakumar approached the Karnataka High Court challenging the sanctions against him. In April, a plea filed by him to quash the State Home Department's order was dismissed by Justice Natrajan of the High Court.

The Congress leader then moved to a division bench of the High Court in appeal, which granted him interim relief by putting a stay on CBI's probe.

Last month, the High Court order of interim stay on the CBI investigation against Shivakumar was challenged before the Supreme Court by the central agency.

(With inputs from LiveLaw)