DK Shivakumar relieved after Supreme Court rejected request for CBI investigation in graft case

On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to interfere with the Karnataka High Court’s decision to issue an interim stay on a CBI investigation into corruption allegations against the state’s deputy chief minister, D K Shivakumar.

A three-judge panel led by Justices BR Gavai, CT Ravikumar, and Sanjay Kumar denied the appeal the Central Bureau of Investigation filed against the high court’s ruling in the case on February 10.

Even though there was an order in favour of the agency, according to Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, the division bench of the high court granted an interim stay on the proceedings.

According to senior attorney Abhishek Singhvi, who is representing Shivakumar, the CBI has appealed a high court interim ruling but has chosen not to do so for subsequent interim orders issued by the division bench of the high court.

The Supreme Court panel then declared that it would not interfere and gave the CBI permission to ask the high court for a swift resolution of the matter at hand.

The Karnataka High Court halted the CBI’s investigation into a corruption case against Shivakumar on February 10. The High Court has also ordered the investigating agency to give a report on the steps it has taken in the case that was filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The high court emphasised that the cases brought against Shivakumar were from 2020 and questioned the CBI about how the probe had gone during the previous two years. As it adjourned the case and delayed the proceedings till the next date of hearing, the high court had asked the agency when it would submit the final report.

2017 saw a raid by the Income Tax Department on Shivakumar. The Enforcement Directorate also began its investigation into him based on the information given by the I-T department.

The CBI requested permission from the state government to file a FIR against the president of the Congress’ Karnataka unit based on the findings of the ED inquiry. The FIR was filed on October 3, 2020, and the sanction was issued on September 25, 2019. The FIR has been contested by Shivakumar in the High Court.