K’taka Lokayukta police register DA case against Deputy CM Shivakumar, await HC order

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Lokayukta police have registered a case against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar anticipating a transfer of a disproportionate assets probe to itself from the CBI, which is currently investigating it.

The Karnataka cabinet in November last year withdrew the previous BJP government’s decision to accord sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute Shivakumar, who is also Congress state unit President, in the disproportionate assets case registered against him, saying that it was not in accordance with the law.

Lokayukta police are anticipating the transfer of the case from the CBI to Lokayukta, a senior Lokayukta officer said, but acknowledged that the state government’s order of withdrawing sanction has been disputed by the CBI in the Karnataka High Court.

“The Lokayukta is bound by the state government orders. As per the state government’s order we have registered a case. We are waiting for the court’s outcome to see if the case is transferred to us,” the officer told PTI.

He said there is no bar as of now on Lokayukta to investigate the case as the court has not put any restrictions.

The officer, however, added: “Without CBI transferring the case documents, there isn’t much we can do right now except some basic investigation. For some meaningful investigation to happen, we are waiting for the High Court order and we will act as per its directions.”