Setback for Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar as High Court Rejects CBI Quashing Plea

In a significant setback for Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief, D.K. Shivakumar, the high court has dismissed his petition seeking the quashing of CBI proceedings against him, simultaneously lifting the stay order on the ongoing CBI investigation. The Karnataka High Court bench, presided over by Justice K. Natarajan, has instructed the CBI to conclude its probe within three months, a decision that is being perceived as a substantial setback for Shivakumar, who has been actively engaging with opposition parties, particularly the BJP and JD(S), in the state.

The CBI had initiated a criminal case, invoking Sections 13 (2) and 13 (1)E of the Prevention of Corruption Act, alleging that Shivakumar had accumulated assets disproportionate to his income between 2018 and 2023. While Shivakumar had previously appealed against the case in the high court, the court had earlier issued multiple stays on the proceedings. There are now indications that the CBI will seek to cancel Shivakumar’s bail.

Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel have suggested that Shivakumar could find himself back in Tihar Jail. In response, Shivakumar argued that Kumaraswamy and Kateel lack the authority to pass such judgments, while the Congress party has consistently claimed that Shivakumar’s family has endured persistent harassment.