Delhi court grants bail to 4 in money laundering case involving Karnataka Cong chief Shivakumar

The anti-money laundering agency had in May filed the charge sheet against Shivakumar and others in the case which it had registered as a corollary to a complaint filed by the Income Tax IT department. Shivakumar had rejected the charges against him as baseless and politically motivated.

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to four accused in a money laundering case involving Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar.

Special Judge Vikas Dhull granted relief to Sachin Narayan, Sunil Kumar Sharma, Anjaneya Hanumanthaiah and Rajendra N.

The accused had appeared before the judge pursuant to summonses issued to them after the Enforcement Directorate filed a charge sheet in the case.

The court granted them bail on furnishing personal bonds of Rs 1 lakh each with one surety of the like amount.

The court directed the accused not to leave the country without its prior permission or tamper with evidence or influence any witness.

During the arguments, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for one of the accused, told the court that since the accused were not arrested during the probe, no purpose will now be served by sending them to custody.

Special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana, appearing for the ED, opposed the bail application.

The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Shivakumar on September 3, 2019 in the case and the Delhi High Court granted him bail in October that year. The anti-money laundering agency had in May filed the charge sheet against Shivakumar and others in the case which it had registered as a corollary to a complaint filed by the Income Tax (IT) department. The IT department, during the initial probe, had allegedly found ''unaccounted and misreported'' wealth linked to the influential Congress leader. Shivakumar had rejected the charges against him as ''baseless'' and ''politically motivated''.