Bengaluru, Oct 23: Former Prime Minister H DDeve Gowda and ex-Chief Ministers H D Kumaraswamy andSiddaramaiah welcomed the Delhi HighCourt order on Wednesday granting bail to Congress leader D K Shivakumar in a money laundering case, filed by the Enforcement Directorate.
As the news about Shivakumar getting bail broke, his supporters and Congress workers celebrated by bursting crackers and distributing sweets in Ramanagara, Belagavi, Tumakuru, Kanakapura, Mandya and near his Bengaluru residence.
"Delhi High Court granting bail to D K Shivakumar has increased common man's trust in country's judicial system. I welcome the court's decision," Gowda tweeted.
Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA, was arrested by the EDon September 3 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
"Getting bail from Delhi high court is happy news," Siddaramaiah told reporters at Bagalkote.
He alleged that Shivakumar was being politically targeted.
"...let them (ED) investigate, but sending to jail duringinvestigation is not right. On proving to be guilty one can besent to jail, but sending while the investigation is still onis not right. Vengeance politics is not right..," he added.
The 57-year-old Shivakumar is under judicial custody and presently lodged in Tihar jail.
Both the Congress and Shivakumar have claimed he was beingtargeted by the BJP-led government at the Centre by "misusing" investigating agencies.
"Delhi High Court granting bail to D K Shivakumar is a matter of happiness. On Monday I had met Shivakumar and tried to boost his courage, and expressed hope about him getting bail," Kumaraswamy tweeted.
The JD(S) leader who met Shivakumar at Tihar jail on Monday had said that the Congress leader was "bold" to fight "vengeance politics".
Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy, both Vokkaliga strong men, have been bitter political opponents in the old Mysuru region,until they came together for the formation of Congress-JD(S) coalition government, after 2018 assembly polls.
Shivakumar was a key minister in the Kumaraswamy cabinet and played a major rule in the stability of the coalition government until it collapsed in July, following resignation of several MLAs of the two parties, eventually leading to installation of the BJP government.
His arrest had lead to widespread protests, especially in Ramanagara, Bengaluru rural, Mandya and other parts of old Mysuru region.
It had even taken a caste colour with thousands of people belonging to the Vokkaliga community taking out a rally recently in Bengaluru protesting the arrest and expressing solidarity with him.
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Mumbai, Dec 9: Three persons died and 17 others were injured after a bus of the Mumbai's civic transport body BEST rammed into pedestrians as well as vehicles on Monday night, police and municipal corporation officials said.
It is suspected the accident near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) L Ward in Kurla took place due to a brake failure, they said, adding the bus driver has been detained.
According to the officials, the driver of the BEST bus on route number 332 lost control over the wheel and dashed into pedestrians as well as some vehicles.
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking's bus, after ploughing through pedestrians and vehicles, entered into a residential society, Buddha Colony, and came to a halt, they said.
Three persons were brought dead from the crash site to nearby Bhabha Hospital, where 17 injured were undergoing treatment, said the officials.
Some of the injured were said to be in a critical condition. Multiple vehicles were damaged in the accident.
The bus was going from Kurla railway station to Andheri when the accident occurred, he added.
Zeeshan Ansari, an eyewitness, said "I was standing in front of Royal Sweets shop along with my friends when I saw a bus being driven rashly. The bus suddenly dashed into multiple vehicles as well as pedestrians and entered Buddha Colony. We rushed and brought out the bus driver."
"Many people were lying in a pool of blood. A crowd assembled at the spot and started moving the injured to hospital," Ansari said.
The bus was a 12-metre long electric vehicle manufactured by Hyderabad-based Olectra Greentech and it had been taken by BEST on wet lease, another official said.
He pointed out that the drivers of such buses are supplied by the private operator.
"The bus is just three months old. It is registered on August 20 this year in the name of a company called EVEY Trans," a Tardeo Regional Transport Office (RTO) official said.