A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court today extended the judicial custody of Congress leader DK Shivakumar until October 25, after the counsel appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) reminded the Court that Shivakumar's bail plea was lying pending before the Delhi High Court. Shivakumar was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month in connection with a money laundering case.
The decision was taken by the court after the Congress leader was produced before it on the expiry of his 14-day term period at the Tihar jail. Even though Shivakumar did not oppose the extension of his judicial custody, he alleged unequal treatment before the eyes of the law. He said that while everyone else had been given a chair, he was made to stand. "I have severe back pain," Shivakumar complained. Later, the Court allowed him to have his chair, subject to equal treatment under the law. The Congress leader was also allowed to meet his family inside the court lock-up premises.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on Monday submitted an additional status report before the Delhi High Court in an alleged money-laundering case filed against Congress leader D K Shivakumar.
The court asked the agency to serve a copy of the report to Shivakumar's lawyers. Additionally, the ED also filed a reply on Shivakumar's bail plea. He had moved the High Court after a trial court rejected his bail application saying that he was not entitled to avail it at that stage of the investigation. The hearing in the bail plea was, however, adjourned for today as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was unavailable.
A Delhi court on October 1 extended Shivakumar's judicial custody till October 15 after ED counsel moved an application seeking further interrogation of Shivakumar in judicial custody in Tihar.
The court allowed the ED to interrogate Shivakumar on October 4 and 5 in the Tihar Jail.
The money laundering case was registered against him by the ED in September last year, based on a complaint filed by the Income Tax department, alleging tax evasion and hawala transactions running into crores.
(With agency inputs)
