The senior Congress leader was arrested on Tuesday night by ED under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after being drilled by four days the government agency. Shivakumar first appeared for questioning on last Friday after he was summoned by ED to appear before it in connection with a money laundering case.
Just before the Rouse Avenue Court announced its order to put Shivakumar into ED custody, the senior Congress leader took to Twitter said, "Political Vendetta has become more stronger than the law in this country." Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar pronounce the order in the matter.
Protests broke out in several parts of Karnataka on Wednesday morning following the arrest of senior Congress leader. Demonstrations and attempts to block roads by burning tires were reported from Ramanagara, Chennapattana and few neighboring towns. Here a bandh has been called by Shivakumar's supporters. Several party workers and leader's supporters even vandalised a state transport bus.
The Senior Congress leader's health deteriorated after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday night. He was admitted to RML Hospital at 11 pm on Tuesday after complaining of chest pain. Medical examination revealed that his blood pressure had shot up.
Breaking his silence almost a day after Shivakumar was arrested by the ED, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi today took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government accusing it of indulging in vendetta politics and of using the investigation agencies to target individuals selectively.
The case against Shivakumar comes from a an old chargesheet file by the Income Tax Department in 2018. The IT department has charged him with tax evasion and hawala transactions before a special court in Bengaluru last year. This chargesheet formed the basis for the case registered by the ED.