Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar was questioned by a team of senior Income Tax officials for nearly three hours at their regional office in the city on Monday.
The I-T sources said the Minister was issued a questionnaire on the alleged undisclosed income and several suspect financial transactions. While Mr. Shivakumar answered some of the questions, he sought time to respond with help from his auditor, sources said.
The I-T department had conducted search and seizure operations against Mr. Shivakumar for four days from Wednesday to Saturday. It had issued him and several others searched, summons to appear before them for questioning on Monday. Amidst reports that the Minister had asked for two days’ time to appear before officials, he appeared as per the summons issued to him at 11 a.m. and left the premises by 3 p.m.
Walking out of a three-hour questioning session, Mr. Shivakumar refused to comment on any particulars of either the I-T action against him or political questions. “The I-T department has the authority to search the premises of any businessman and summon them. This is not the first time I have come here. I have respected the summons issued to me. I have answered their questions to the best of my satisfaction. The I-T officials have not asked me to come for investigation again immediately. They said they will call me if needed. I have assured them all cooperation,” Mr. Shivakumar said.
The sleuths had uncovered a huge cache of documents that unearthed undisclosed income of nearly ₹300 crore during the marathon raids on the Minister, his family members and several firms across sectors that allegedly had business links with him. The IT department is yet to issue a formal statement on the raids, and there is no clarity on what part of the undisclosed income belong to the Minister. ₹8 crore cash was recovered from Mr. Shivakumar’s Safdarjung Road residence in Delhi.
D.K. Suresh, the Minister’s brother and Bengaluru Rural MP; S. Ravi, MLC and a relative, and Dwarkanath, the astrologer, were also questioned by special teams on Monday.