Supreme Court declines CBI plea against Karnataka HC stay in DK Shivakumar case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) plea challenging the Karnataka High Court's decision to stay an investigation against Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in a disproportionate assets case.
The Court, however, urged the High Court to consider the CBI's application for vacating the stay and the pending appeal expeditiously, preferably within two weeks.
A division bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma passed the order, noting that the high court's stay was interim in nature. The CBI had filed the special leave petition against the high court's June 2023 order, which temporarily stayed the sanction granted by the state government for investigating corruption allegations against the Congress leader related to disproportionate assets.
The case stems from a Rs 74 crore disproportionate assets case initiated by the CBI in September 2019 based on a sanction from the BS Yediyurappa-led government. The allegations arose from a 2017 Income Tax raid on Shivakumar's offices and a subsequent Enforcement Directorate probe.
The CBI filed a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act in October 2020. Shivakumar challenged the sanction and proceedings in the Karnataka High Court, which granted temporary relief by staying the CBI probe on multiple occasions.
In April, Justice K Natarajan of the Karnataka High Court dismissed Shivakumar's plea, leading to an appeal before a division bench. The Supreme Court had earlier refused to entertain the CBI's plea against the high court's interim orders. The ongoing legal battle involves Shivakumar challenging the sanction and proceedings against him, and the CBI seeking to proceed with its investigation.
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DMK seeks separate seating in Lok Sabha after split with Congress alliance
New Delhi: Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking a separate seating arrangement for Members of Parliament belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) following the end of the party’s alliance with the Indian National Congress.
In a letter dated May 7 addressed to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Kanimozhi said the changed political situation made it inappropriate for DMK MPs to continue sitting alongside Congress members in the House.
She requested the Speaker to make “suitable changes” in the seating arrangement of the DMK Parliamentary Party and allot separate seating for its MPs.
“In view of the changed political circumstances and as our alliance with the Indian National Congress has come to an end, it may not be appropriate for our Members to continue occupying the present seating arrangement alongside them in the House,” the letter stated.
Kanimozhi further said separate seating would help DMK members effectively discharge their responsibilities in the Lok Sabha.
