Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case. The Congress leader has been on the radar of the Income Tax Department and the ED since 2016. Responding to the arrest, the Youth Congress’s official Twitter handle claims this is nothing but a “witch-hunt” and tweeted in support of their leader.

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Youth Congress stands by leader

The Youth Congress has claimed that the arrest is borne out of the BJP's fear, and has called the entire matter a witch-hunt. Pertinently, it has given him its full backing not once but twice, writing that it stands by Shivakumar, now and always.

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The I-T department has lodged a case against Shivakumar and four of his associates under Sections 277 and 278 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and Sections 120(B), 193 and 199 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Based on the department’s chargesheet, the ED registered a money laundering case against Shivakumar. 

Congress’s official handle tweeted:

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Shivakumar to be put through custodial interrogation

An official said Shivakumar needs to be put through custodial interrogation and hence he was arrested. The official added that, the Congress leader will be produced before a court in Delhi on Wednesday by the ED for further interrogation. Shivakumar has accused Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa of indulging in vengeful politics by targeting him and other state opposition leaders. The central agency had in September last year registered a money laundering case against Shivakumar, Haumanthaiah, an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, and others. An Income Tax search at his New Delhi flat on August 2, 2017, led to the seizure of unaccounted cash worth ₹8.59 crore. This had come amid the controversy over him hosting Congress Gujarat MLAs at the Eagleton resort outside Bengaluru during the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections. Shivakumar has claimed that this is the reason he was targeted.

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(INPUTS FROM PTI)