Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 6: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a first information report (FIR) against D K Shivakumar. The FIR claims that assets of D K Shivakumar swelled during the five year period 2013-18 by a whopping 380 percent.

Shivakumar had declared his assets as Rs 33.92 crore as per the affidavit he filed on April 13, 2013 for election purposes. It went up to Rs 162.53 crore as on April 30, 2018. The net increase during the five years was Rs 128.6 crore. Records show that he had income of Rs 166.79 crore during this period and expenditure of Rs 113.12 crore. The income in excess of known sources of income stands at Rs 74.93 crore.

CBI is investigating only the illegal assets acquired by Shivakumar between this five year period and the FIR does not have any information about his transactions before or after this period.

Even though the houses of Shivakumar's brother and MP D K Suresh and close ones were raided, Shivakumar alone has been shown as the accused. Even Suresh's name has not been found. But the names of Hanumanthaya and Shashikumar, who are close to Shivakumar, have been mentioned as having helped Shivakumar to amass wealth. The FIR says that the assets went up between April 1, 2013 and 2018, when Shivakumar was a minister. In fact, Shivakumar had become a minister in 2014.

The officials have registered the case under different sections of the Indian Penal Code under which there is provision of imprisonment between one to seven years. The CBI in its investigation reportedly came to know that some government officials who helped Shivakumar when he was minister to put together illegal wealth will also face the heat.

During the raid, a huge amount of gold ornaments were found. It is said that they were done for the marriage of Shivakumar's daughter, Aishwarya. The ornaments have been seized by the CBI and asked him to produce bills.

Shivakumar has already filed a petition in the high court seeking cancellation of the order of the government permitting to investigate the charges. He might seek urgent hearing of this petition. If the high court agrees, he may seek stay on all further processes through interim application.