After ED summons, DK Shivakumar on CBI radar ahead of Karnataka leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra

The Karnataka Congress unit president deemed the CBI raids 'mental harassment', questioning the timing of the action.

ByAnusha Ravi Sood

Published Sep 29, 2022 | 7:48 AMUpdatedSep 29, 2022 | 7:48 AM

DK Shivakumar

Exactly 10 days after he was questioned by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar is on the radar of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Fresh action from the CBI comes barely two days before the Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to enter Karnataka. Participants of the one-of-its-kind walkathon will arrive in Karnataka on the morning of 30 September.

CBI officials, along with those of Karnataka’s Revenue Department, on Wednesday, 28 September, visited properties belonging to Shivakumar and his family in Kanakapura, Doddalahalli and Sante Kodihalli.

The visit, Shivakumar said, was to assess and evaluate land, houses and property owned by him and his family members.

‘They are targeting me’

Deeming the CBI action as “mental harassment”, Shivakumar questioned its timing.

“I have already given them all the documents. I respect the law. I have told them I will cooperate too. I have written to CBI and ED seeking time until the election in Karnataka is behind us, but they are targeting me. This is mental harassment, given their timing,” DK Shivakumar told reporters late Wednesday evening.

The CBI assessment comes when Shivakumar is already being questioned by ED in a disproportionate assets case. The ED case is, in turn, based on the ongoing CBI investigation. On 19 September, DK Shivakumar was in New Delhi appearing before ED officials in response to summons.

“I have been issued another summons by ED,” Shivakumar revealed while talking to reporters on Wednesday.

‘Why no searches in homes of BJP leaders?’

“Many in the BJP too face disproportionate assets case, but none of them have CBI searching their homes. The Assembly Speaker (Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri) hasn’t given CBI permission to raid any other MLA; only I am being targeted,” Shivakumar alleged.

For Shivakumar, who is aspiring to be Congress’ chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Assembly election in Karnataka, landing in jail once again is a threat. In September 2019, he was sent to Tihar Jail in connection with the case. He walked out weeks later when the Delhi High Court granted him conditional bail.

Leaders of the Congress in Karnataka have come out in Shivakumar’s support, deeming the CBI’s actions a direct result of the support the Bharat Jodo Yatra has been receiving.