New Delhi(PTI): A Delhi court on Tuesday summoned Congress leader D K Shivakumar and others in a money laundering case lodged against him in 2018 after taking cognisance of the charge sheet.

Special Judge Vikas Dhull directed Shivakumar to appear on July 1.

The court gave the order after taking cognisance of a charge sheet filed by ED through its Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana against Shivakumar and others in the case.

Shivakumar, who is the president of the Congress' Karnataka unit, was arrested by the ED in the case on September 3, 2019 and was granted bail by the Delhi High Court on October 23, 2019.

The case is 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 of rupees.

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Kollam (PTI): Around 10 fishing boats anchored in Ashtamudi Lake were gutted in a massive fire in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

The incident occurred in the Kureepuzha area under the jurisdiction of the Anchalumood police station.

According to police, the blaze was first spotted past midnight, and the boats, anchored in a row, caught fire. Residents and fire personnel rushed to contain the flames.

"As per preliminary assessment, around 10 boats were destroyed. The exact cause is yet to be identified, but a gas cylinder blast is suspected," a police officer said, adding no casualties have been reported.

Lok Sabha MP N K Premachandran urged the government to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the incident, citing repeated fire outbreaks in the region, including a similar case at Mukkad just days ago.

"Recurring incidents have caused widespread concern among those dependent on the fisheries sector," Premachandran said, noting that preliminary suspicion points to a gas stove explosion.

He called for a detailed investigation to determine the cause and urged the government to provide compensation to those affected.