Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: In a significant legal setback, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar challenging the CBI’s FIR against him in a disproportionate assets case. A bench comprising Justices Bela M Trivedi and S C Sharma stated they were not inclined to interfere with the Karnataka High Court’s previous order.
“Sorry. Dismissed,” declared the bench, delivering a brief but decisive verdict.
The Supreme Court was addressing Shivakumar’s appeal against the October 19, 2023, ruling by the Karnataka High Court, which had also rejected his plea. The High Court had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete its investigation and submit a report within three months.
The CBI’s allegations against Shivakumar pertain to the accumulation of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income between 2013 and 2018, a period during which he served as a minister in the previous Congress government in Karnataka.
The CBI lodged the FIR on September 3, 2020. In response, Shivakumar sought to quash the FIR by approaching the Karnataka High Court in 2021. However, his plea was rejected, and now the Supreme Court has upheld this decision, allowing the CBI investigation to proceed as directed by the High Court.
This ruling represents a major hurdle for Shivakumar, who holds a prominent position in Karnataka’s political landscape.