'Not In Accordance With Law': Karnataka Cabinet On Previous BJP Govt's Decision To Give Shivakumar Assets Case To CBI

The Congress government is now expected to issue an order withdrawing the sanction accorded to the CBI to probe a disproportionate assets case against DK Shivakumar by the previous BJP government.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar

Source : @DKShivakumar

New Delhi: The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday asserted that the earlier decision of the BJP government to grant approval for the CBI to prosecute Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in a case related to disproportionate assets was not in "accordance with the law."

The Congress government is now expected to issue an order withdrawing the approval given to the CBI vis-a-vis case against its state President, reported PTI.

According to PTI, Shivakumar was not part of the cabinet meeting.

After the cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil told reporters, "The cabinet held that keeping in view the opinions of the old Advocate General and new Advocate General, bypassing and overlooking the speaker, the decision that was taken, was not in accordance with law."

He further stated, "Based on this cabinet decision administrative orders will be issued in a couple of days."

Patil said, "CBI was given sanction on the basis of Chief Minister's verbal order, without taking Speaker's approval as required by law." The previous government's Advocate General and the current government's Advocate General's opinions were seriously considered by the cabinet, he said.

"Without taking approval of the Speaker, illegally and in violation of rules, the action was taken, it is not in accordance with law," he added, reported PTI.

On Wednesday, the Karnataka High Court adjourned to November 29 the hearing of the appeal filed by Shivakumar against the sanction accorded by the previous government to the CBI to prosecute him in the disproportionate assets case.

A single-judge bench had earlier dismissed Shivakumar’s petition challenging the sanction of September 25, 2019.

Shivakumar then challenged it before the division bench which had stayed the single-judge order. The CBI had filed an application for vacation of this stay.

Based on the Income Tax Department's search operations in Shivakumar's home and offices in 2017, the Enforcement Directorate started its own probe against him.

After this, the CBI sought sanction from the state government to register a case against him.

The CBI had registered an FIR against him on October 3, 2020.