CBI recovers over Rs 50L in raids against Shivakumar, Congress calls it vendetta

New Delhi/ Bengaluru: The CBI has till now recovered over Rs 50 lakh from multiple premises it has searched in a corruption case related to Congress leader D K Shivakumar, officials said on Monday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is carrying out searches at 14 locations in Karnataka, Delhi and Maharashtra in the case that pertains to amassing of disproportionate assets, they said. The search operation may be expanded during the day, the officials said.

The CBI has registered a case against Shivakumar on the allegations of possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 74.93 crore in his name and in the name of his family members.

Searches were conducted at 14 locations including Karnataka, Delhi, Mumbai at the premises of the said MLA and others which led to the recovery of cash of Rs 57 lakh (approx) and several incriminating documents including property documents, bank-related information, computer hard disk etc.

The CBI has registered a fresh case against the Congress leader based on a source information from another agency. The information relates to assets amassed during Shivakumar's tenure as a minister in Karnataka, they said.

Places that are being searched include properties of Shivakumar's brother and MP from Bengaluru Rural D K Suresh, according to sources.

CBI sleuths reached their residences in Bengaluru and also at Doddalahalli in Kanakapura early on Monday morning.

"CBI has registered a case against the then minister of the Karnataka government and others on the allegations of acquisition of disproportionate assets. Searches are being conducted today at 14 locations including nine in Karnataka, four in Delhi, one in Mumbai," the CBI said in a statement.

Congress leaders have hit out at the BJP governments at the Centre and in Karnataka for the CBI searches, questioning its timing ahead of the November 3 by-polls to the Sira and the R R Nagar Assembly segments.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala termed it "raid raj" and a "Machiavellian move" by the BJP government.

"The insidious game of intimidation & machinations of Modi-Yeddyurappa duo being executed by a puppet CBI by raiding @DKShivakumar won't deter us. CBI should be unearthing the layers of corruption in Yeddyurappa Govt. But, 'Raid Raj' is their only 'Machiavellian Move'!," Surjewala said on Twitter.

"Let Modi & Yeddyurappa Govts & BJP's frontal organizations i.e CBI-ED-Income Tax know that Congress workers & leaders will not be cowed down nor bow down before such devious attempts. Our resolve to fight for people & expose BJP's maladministration only becomes stronger," he tweeted.