Delhi HC allows D K Shivakumar plea to travel abroad
New Delhi, Mar 30: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday permitted Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar, who is on bail in connection with a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate, to travel to United Arab Emirates to attend an event.
Justice Asha Menon allowed the application filed by Shivakumar, and said, "the applicant is allowed to travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi between March 31 and April 6".
The judge clarified that the Congress leader shall intimate the investigating officer upon his return.
In the application, Shivakumar, who was represented by lawyer Mayank Jain, said that his presence is required in Dubai for an event organised in which he is the special guest.
In October 2019, the high court had granted bail to Shivakumar, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, while imposing the condition that he would not leave the country without the permission of the court concerned.
In the bail order, the court had said that he was "entitled" for grant of bail as no material has been shown to indicate that he was a flight risk.
Shivakumar, a 7-time MLA in Karnataka, was booked along with Haumanthaiah -- an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi-- and others for alleged offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case was based on a charge sheet filed by the Income Tax Department against them last year before a special court in Bengaluru on charges of alleged tax evasion and 'hawala' transactions worth crores or rupees.
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'The Ba**ds of Bollywood’ mirrors my life, damages my reputation: Sameer Wankhede tells Delhi HC
New Delhi: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has submitted his reply to the Delhi High Court in the defamation case he filed against Red Chillies Entertainment, the production company owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan. The case pertains to the recently released series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, which Wankhede claims has defamed him.
In his statement to the court, Wankhede asserted that the show’s portrayal of a police officer is clearly based on him and has caused serious harm to his public image. He cited four key reasons supporting his claim.
First, he said the character in question bears physical similarities to him, including facial and body features. Second, he noted that the character’s working style and mannerisms closely resemble his own.
Third, Wankhede highlighted that the officer in the show is depicted making a high-profile arrest involving a major film personality, which he said directly mirrors his own involvement in the Aryan Khan drug case.
Fourth, he pointed out that the character frequently uses the phrase “Satyameva Jayate,” a motto he himself had used during media interactions in the course of that investigation. He argued that using the national motto in such a context cannot be dismissed as creative expression or humour.
Wankhede also referred to an interview in which Aryan Khan allegedly admitted that the show was “inspired by some real events.” This, he said, contradicts Red Chillies Entertainment’s claim that The Ba**ds of Bollywood* is purely fictional.
He further alleged that the tone and intent of the series indicate personal and institutional vendetta, aimed at discrediting and defaming him rather than engaging in artistic storytelling.
Wankhede informed the court that the fallout from the show has affected his family, with his wife and sister receiving abusive and vulgar messages online.
Rejecting Red Chillies’ argument that he is a “thin-skinned” officer, Wankhede said that a public servant cannot be expected to tolerate false and damaging portrayals simply because of his position. He emphasized that his legal action seeks to protect the constitutional rights and dignity of both himself and his family.
