New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the Enforcement Directorate's plea challenging the Delhi High Court order granting bail to Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar in a money laundering case.
A bench comprising Justices R F Nariman and S Ravindra Bhat rejected the request of the Solicitor General, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to issue a notice to the other side on the appeal. The Delhi High Court had on October 23 granted bail to Shivakumar.
Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA in Karnataka, was arrested by the ED on September 3 under the PMLA.
Shivakumar, who was lodged in Tihar jail, was granted bail by the high court on October 23. He had challenged the trial court's order denying him bail.
The ED had in September last year registered the money-laundering case against Shivakumar, Haumanthaiah -- an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi -- and others.
The case was based on a charge sheet (prosecution complaint) 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.
The I-T department has accused Shivakumar and his alleged associate S K Sharma of indulging in transactions involving huge amounts of unaccounted money on a regular basis through 'hawala' channels with the help of three other accused.
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