Delhi court sends Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar to judicial custody
New Delhi, Sep 17: A Delhi court Tuesday sent Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar, arrested in a money laundering case by the ED, to judicial custody.
Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar directed the Enforcement Directorate to take Shivakumar to hospital first and see whether the doctor suggests admitting him there.
The probe agency claimed in the court that his interrogation was yet to be completed and sought permission from the judge to question him during the judicial custody.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) K M Nataraj, appearing for the ED, told the court that Shivakumar's health condition did not allow effective questioning.
The Congress leader's counsel opposed the ED plea for judicial custody and sought his bail on medical grounds.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Shivakumar, submitted in the court that the MLA's health condition was very serious and he was close to a heart attack; therefore, he be granted bail.
The ASG told the court that Shivakumar was taken to hospital as directed by court and due to his aliment, his interrogation could not be continued.
Singhvi further said that only Rs 41 lakh was recovered from Shivakumar and not Rs 8.5 crore, as alleged by the ED and now surprisingly the figure has become Rs 143 crore.
He alleged that ED is biased and mala fide and is lying before the court about the investigation.
The agency's claim about 317 bank accounts was only to spoil Shivakumar's image in media and public, he added.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, also representing Shivakumar and seeking bail for him, said he was a 7-time MLA and not a flight risk.
It is a case based on documentary evidence and there was no ground to keep Shivakumar in custody as he has no criminal antecedent, said Rohatgi.
He further said that this is a case of granting bail and the court can impose conditions; if not, then granting medical bail to Shivakumar should be considered.
Opposing the bail plea, ED said that it had taken care of his medical conditions.
It also alleged that laundering of money took place through bank accounts of the MLA and his family members.
Shivakumar, arrested on September 3 by the ED in a money laundering case, was produced before the court Tuesday on the expiry of his custodial interrogation.
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31 students test positive during anti-drug screening drive in educational institutions in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Thirty-one students tested positive during an anti-drug screening drive conducted in educational institutions in Vijayanagar area of the city, police said on Thursday.
The drive was conducted as part of Karnataka State Police department's newly introduced initiative called "Sanmitra" aimed to address the serious issue of drug addiction, which has been severely impacting the youth across the state, they said.
This initiative aims to adopt a transformative approach to find solutions and take compassionate steps towards building a drug-free society, police said.
According to police, as part of this directive, on March 4, under the leadership of DCP West Division Yatheesh N, inspections related to drug consumption were conducted within the limits of Vijayanagar Sub-Division police stations under Bengaluru City Police Commissionerate.
With the consent and no-objection certificates obtained from the management of six educational institutions and two hostels, inspections and checks were carried out.
"Urine samples were collected from more than 1,200 students, out of which 585 samples were randomly tested, and 31 samples were found to be positive," police said in a statement.
The operation was conducted with the full cooperation of officers and staff of local police stations, along with doctors, technicians, and staff from nearby hospitals, police said.
Necessary arrangements will be made to provide counseling with mental health professionals and to ensure required medical support for those in need, they said.
The identity and family details of individuals tested will be kept strictly confidential, police assured.
