Karnataka, Oct 23 :
Karnataka former chief minister Siddaramaiah expressed happiness over Delhi High Court’s order granting bail to senior Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar in a money laundering case. “The high court had done justice. I don’t say the agencies should not probe. Let them probe. But jailing a person during investigation is not the right procedure. If proven guilty in the courts, one should be sent to jail. But this is a clear case of political vendetta,” Siddaramaiah said, welcoming the Delhi HC order. Former chief minister and JD(S) chief H.D. Kumaraswamy, who had met Shivakumar in Tihar jail on Monday, too said he was hopeful that the court would grant bail. His father and former prime minister H.D. Devegowda welcomed the court decision and stated that it had reposed the faith of the common man in judiciary. Meanwhile, Congress partyworkers in Kanakapura burst firecrackers on hearing about their Shivakumar’s release from Tihar jail on bail after spending 50 days. The Delhi High Court granted bail to Shivakumar on furnishing a bond of Rs 25 lakh and two sureties of like amount. The court, however, asked the Congress leader to surrender his passport and cooperate with investigative agencies for the probe.
Shivakumar, 57, was arrested by the ED on September 3 in the money laundering case. Shivakumar, in his bail plea, had claimed that the case was a result of political rivalry and there was not enough evidence against him.
He also had cited medical reasons as one of the grounds for seeking bail. The ED had opposed his bail plea saying he was an influential person and, if released, he could tamper with evidence and influence witnesses. Shivakumar was booked for alleged offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
