The Special Court for Economic Offences, Bengaluru, on Thursday granted interim bail to Minister for Water Resources D.K. Shivakumar and four other accused persons in a case filed against them for wilfully attempting to evade tax and filing false Income Tax statement after “unaccounted” cash of Rs. 8.59 crore was unearthed during raids conducted at four flats in Delhi last year.
Mr. Shivakumar and four others personally appeared along with their advocates and the special court granted interim bail as the High Court earlier this week had stayed a common sanction order granted by the Principal Director (Investigation) of the Income Tax Department for prosecuting Mr. Shivakumar and the other persons based on the outcome of raids. Sachin Narayan, a co-accused, had moved the High Court questioning legality of sanction.
Sunil Kumar Sharma, proprietor of Sharma Transports, Anjaneya Hanumanthaiah, an employee of the Karnataka government working as an assistant liaison officer in Karnataka Bhavan in New Delh, and Rajendra N., a retired caretaker of Karnataka Bhavan, are the other three accused.