The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to quash a disproportionate assets case filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma refused to entertain the petition filed by Congress leader DK Shivakumar against the CBI investigation against him in alleged offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act).
The top court expressed dismay at the Karnataka High Court staying sanction order granted by the government.
"This is unheard of!," the bench remarked while dismissing the plea.
This came after Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Congress leader, informed the apex court that the sanction for a CBI probe against Shivakumar had already been withdrawn by the state government.
"That is a different thing, but how can a High Court grant such a stay?" The bench remarked while rejecting the plea.
In October 2020, an FIR was filed against DK Shivakumar alleging that his assets increased disproportionately from 2013 to 2018.
In 2023, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed Shivakumar's plea to quash the CBI probe after the then BJP led government ordered CBI probe in the case.
However, after Congress came to power in Karnataka, it withdrew the sanction granted to CBI to probe Shivakumar by the BJP government.
After this, in 2023 Karnataka High Court allowed Shivakumar to withdraw his plea challenging the previous high court order.
Following this, two separate petitions were filed by a BJP leader, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and CBI against Congress government's withdrawal of consent to CBI probe. The high court is yet to pronounce a verdict on the same.