Karnataka Congress leaders D.K. Shivakumar and D.K. Suresh refute CBI claim on cash seized during raids

KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar, along with his brother D.K. Suresh, addressing Congress workers outside his residence, after the CBI raids, in Bengaluru on October 05.

Following raids on several premises of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh, Member of Parliament representing Bengaluru Rural, on October 5, the Central Bureau of Investigation had claimed that Rs.57 lakh of unaccounted cash had been recovered during the raid. Disputing this, Suresh declared that only Rs.6.78 lakh was recovered during the raids.

In a series of tweets, Suresh stated that he would “like to clarify that the CBI has accounted for a total cash of Rs. 6.78 lakhs between my brother’s and my premises”. Breaking this down, he added, “In my Delhi residence cash of Rs.1.57 lakh, my brother’s residence in Bangalore cash of Rs.1.71 lakh, his home office in Bangalore cash of Rs.3.5 lakh was accounted for. No cash was accounted for in my brother’s Delhi residence nor in my residence in Bangalore.” He also questioned the CBI: “In its statement CBI has declared cash accounted for Rs.57 lakh during the search. The balance cash of Rs 50.22 lakhs should be clarified by CBI as this amount was not found and accounted for in our premises.”

The CBI had raided 14 properties of the powerful brothers across Karnataka, Mumbai and Delhi on October 5. According to a press statement issued by the CBI, a case has also been registered against Shivakumar. The statement said, “The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against former Minister of Karnataka Government (presently MLA) on the allegations of possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs.74.93 crore (approx) in his name and in the name of his family members.” These assets were acquired during the period 2013-2018, the CBI statement added.

Shivakumar, who has acquired a reputation of being a ‘trouble shooter’ for the Congress, attracted the attention of the Income Tax authorities in August 2017 when he was given the responsibility of shepherding Congress MLAs from Gujarat just before the Rajya Sabha election in which Ahmed Patel was contesting. At the time, Rs.8.59 crore of unaccounted cash was discovered, leading to a probe by the Enforcement Directorate in 2019, following which Shivakumar spent 50 days in jail.

Politicians from the Congress have alleged that Shivakumar is always targeted at the eve of elections. In 2019, Shivakumar was jailed just before crucial byelections after the downfall of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government. This time around, the CBI raid comes at a time when byelections to two Assembly constituencies in Karnataka are slated to be held on November 3. Addressing a press conference on October 6, Shivakumar stated, “Now that there are bypolls, they have returned. Till the end of the elections, these kinds of inconveniences will be there.”