Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar appears before Lokayukta police in DA case probe
Bengaluru, Aug 22: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday appeared before the Lokayukta police for a probe in connection with a disproportionate assets (DA) case against him.
The Lokayukta police had in February registered a case against Shivakumar, following the Congress government withdrawing consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the DA case against him on November 23, 2023, and referring the case to it.
Speaking to reporters after appearing before the Lokayukta, Shivakumar said: "Lokayukta had issued summons yesterday, I couldn't appear as I was on a visit to Almatti. So I had requested it for today and they had given me time today. For about three hours they have questioned me, they have inquired. I have answered them. They have sought for more documents, so I will submit them."
"After studying things", the Lokayukta will once again issue him a notice to appear, he said. "One thing is that CBI is better than them (Lokayukta). They are asking a number of questions and on different things. The CBI has not asked me anything yet, they haven't called me yet. But they (Lokayukta) have called me and are troubling me."
ALSO READ: Deputy CM Shivakumar hints at hike in water tariff in Bengaluru
Noting that the case has been transferred by the State government from CBI to Lokayukta, Shivakumar said Lokayukta has been probing the case since the last six months.
"...CBI should have stopped the investigation, but they have not stopped. They are harassing all my people. They have still not summoned me, but they are harassing a lot of my friends and relatives. More than hundred people have been harassed. Now these people (Lokayukta) have also started in the same way," he added.
The Supreme Court on July 15 dismissed a petition filed by Shivakumar challenging the CBI's FIR against him in the DA case.
The Supreme Court bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and S C Sharma had said it was not inclined to interfere with the Karnataka High Court order.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by Shivakumar against the October 19, 2023 order of the High Court which rejected his plea.
The HC had also directed the CBI to conclude the investigation and file the report within three months.
The CBI has alleged that Shivakumar amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income between 2013 and 2018. He was a minister in the then Congress government during this period.
The FIR was filed by the CBI on September 3, 2020. Shivakumar challenged the FIR in the High Court in 2021.
The previous BJP government had granted sanction to the CBI to prosecute Shivakumar, following which an FIR was lodged against him and investigation undertaken on alleged charges of disproportionate assets.
The current Karnataka cabinet headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on November 23 last year held that the previous BJP government's move to give consent to the CBI to investigate the DA case against Shivakumar was not in accordance with law and decided to withdraw the sanction. Subsequently a government order was issued in this regard.
Based on the Income Tax Department's search operations in Shivakumar's home and offices in 2017, the Enforcement Directorate started its own probe against him.
Based on the ED investigation, the CBI sought sanction from the state government to file an FIR against Shivakumar.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Austrian police detain suspect in case of rat poison found in baby food jars on supermarket shelves
Vienna (AP): Police in eastern Austria say a 39-year-old suspect has been arrested after rat poison turned up in some HiPP baby food jars on supermarket shelves in central Europe.
HiPP, which recalled some of its baby food jars in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic after the case came to light last month, said in a statement Saturday it was “greatly relieved” by the arrest, and would provide further updates as verified details come in.
The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office, under the direction of prosecutors, said a probe was launched after poison turned up in a baby food jar purchased at a supermarket in the city of Eisenstadt on April 18.
It said the suspect was being questioned, and that no further details would be immediately provided. The Burgenland public prosecutor's office has announced an investigation into suspected “intentional endangerment of the public.”
The Austrian Press Agency reported that an expert report on the toxicity of the poison was pending. A total of five tampered baby food jars were seized before they could be consumed, APA reported.
Authorities said previously they believe the tampering occurred in 190-gram (6.7-ounce) jars of baby food made with carrots and potatoes for 5-month-olds that were sold from SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
HiPP responded by recalling all of its baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets — which include SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR and Maximarkt stores — in Austria as a precaution. Vendors in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed all of the brand's baby jars from sale.
The company said the recall was not due to any product or quality defect on its part, and said the jars left its facility in “perfect condition.”
Police said a customer at the time of the discovery had reported that a jar appeared to have been tampered with, but no one had consumed the baby food.
