New Delhi:
Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday sent Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar to judicial custody till October 1, even as his lawyer Abhishek Singhvi argued for bail, citing his deteriorating health condition. The court, however, said that he should be taken to a hospital first and can be admitted there on doctor's advice. If the doctors feel that there is no need for Shivakumar to be admitted to the hospital, he will be taken to Tihar jail.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had produced the Karnataka Congress leader before the special court in Delhi and sought judicial custody for further interrogation in a money laundering case. But Shivakumar's lawyer, in a failed attempt, requested the court to release him on bail, saying that he came dangerously close to a "heart attack".
Shivakumar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on September 3 in connection with a money laundering case that surfaced following an I-T raid in 2017. After his arrest, the former Karnataka minister was sent to a 9-day ED custody. On the agency's request, his custodial interrogation was extended till September 17.
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Additional Solicitor General (ASG) KM Nataraj, appearing for the ED, told the court that Shivakumar's health condition didn't allow the agency to effectively interrogate him, thus, his judicial custody with permission to interrogate was needed.
Shivakumar's lawyer contended that his health condition was very serious and he needs to be hospitalised as he came "very close" to a heart attack. Accusing the ED of being biased and lying before the court about the investigation in the case, Singhvi sought Shivakumar's immediate release on bail.
Singhvi told the court that the probe agency was alleging about 317 bank accounts only to spoil Shivakumar's image in media and public. He told the court that during the raids, only Rs 41 lakh were recovered from him and not Rs 8.5 crore or 143 crore as claimed by the agency.
