Delhi HC allows DK Shivakumar plea to travel abroad

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday permitted Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar, who is on bail in connection with a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate, to travel to the United Arab Emirates to attend an event.

Justice Asha Menon allowed the application filed by Shivakumar, and said, ”the applicant is allowed to travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi between March 31 and April 6”.

The judge clarified that the Congress leader shall intimate the investigating officer upon his return.

In the application, Shivakumar, who was represented by lawyer Mayank Jain, said that his presence is required in Dubai for an event organized in which he is the special guest.

In October 2019, the high court had granted bail to Shivakumar, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, while imposing the condition that he would not leave the country without the permission of the court concerned.

In the bail order, the court had said that he was ”entitled” to a grant of bail as no material has been shown to indicate that he was a flight risk.

Shivakumar, a 7-time MLA in Karnataka, was booked along with Haumanthaiah — an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi– and others for alleged offenses under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The case was based on a charge sheet filed by the Income Tax Department against them last year before a special court in Bengaluru on charges of alleged tax evasion and ‘hawala’ transactions worth crores of rupees.