D.K. Shivakumar arrested in money laundering case; Congress alleges 'vendetta politics'

In a major setback to the Karnataka Congress, its chief trouble-shooter D.K. Shivakumar was arrested on Friday by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case. He was arrested after being questioned for four days by the agency in its Delhi office.

The ED had issued fresh summons to Shivakumar on Friday after the Karnataka High Court dismissed his petition challenging the agency's move.

The Congress leader said that he had sought time and approached the court challenging the summons, but on Thursday it dismissed his application.

The former minister termed the ED move a “conspiracy” and said that he would face it "legally, politically and socially".

The ED had in September last year registered the money-laundering case against Shivakumar, Haumanthaiah, an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The case has been filed based on a chargesheet (prosecution complaint) filed by the Income Tax Department against him early last year before a special court here on charges of alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions worth crores.