The Law enforcement agency on Tuesday has reportedly registered a money laundering case against Karnataka Irrigation Minister D K Shivakumar and some others, alleging tax evasion and hawala transaction, the official told PTI.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a case on the basis of Income Tax Department against Irrigation minister earlier this year before a special court in Bengaluru. Summons are likely to be issued soon to Congress leader and his four associated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for recording their statements, a report says.
The Income Tax Department has accused the Minister and his associate SK Sharma of unaccounted cash, worth crores of rupees through Hawala channel with the help of few other accused.
The department had said, “As per facts and analysis of evidence, it is clear that accused number 1 (Shivakumar) has set up an extensive network of persons and premises across Delhi and Bengaluru in order to transport and utilise unaccounted cash.”
Apart from DK Shivakumar, other accused include Sachin Narayan, Anjaneya Hanumanthaiah and N Rajendra, it said. Tax department elaborated saying, accused Narayan is a business partner of Shivakumar and Sharma is the proprietor of Sharma Transports, which runs a fleet of luxury and passenger buses and provides transport services to various concerns and individuals on the rental basis.
Anjaneya Hanumanthaian is an employee at Karnataka Bhavan, responsible for handling and storing unaccounted cash of Irrigation minister in Delhi. Rajendra works for Sharma and a caretaker of Bhavan. The IT department had alleged that all five accused hatched a conspiracy to evade tax.
“The analysis of evidences shows that the Minister has set up an extensive network of persons and premises across Delhi and Bangalore in order to transport and utilise unaccounted cash,” it alleged.
“He was allegedly involved in organised tax evasion as part of a conspiracy by engaging others,” the department further told PTI.
In last August, during raids in New Delhi, approximately Rs 20 crore was seized from Bengaluru. In which Shivakumar was allegedly involved. A special court had given Shivakumar a conditional bail in this case sometime back and his next date of hearing is September 20.
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