As I-T dept began raiding his aides, Shivakumar knew he was next

Energy Minister D K Shivakumar saw it coming a few months ago when Income Tax sleuths started raids on his close aides, business associates and firms where he has financial investments.

Sources close to the minister told DH that Shivakumar had been making frequent trips to Delhi in the past five months when he sensed the I-T department casting its net wide around people and firms close to him.
He is also said to have used his proximity with a top BJP functionary in the state and a former national party functionary in Delhi to escape the I-T net.

In fact, raids on the minister’s associates started in January 2016 when I-T sleuths, who were probing irregularities in electrical contracts for electricity supply companies (Escoms), raided a businessman’s flat in Malleswaram.

The businessman, Uday, with interests in casinos in India and Sri Lanka, is a close associate of Shivakumar and has business interests in real estate.  Again, Shivakumar came under the I-T scanner after demonetisation in November 2016. There were several raids on his associates and associate business firms including a well-known jewellery chain and a real estate company where Shivakumar is said to had made investments.

The raids became more evident when one of his school administrators Lepaksha’s house was targeted by I-T sleuths. Later, it was followed by a raid on one of his close aides in January this year.

Sources said that after these two raids, Shivakumar was very worried and wanted to come out clean. He is said to have pulled all his resources and relations in the BJP to wriggle out of the situation. It is said that at one point in time, the minister was even grilled by the Enforcement Directorate but nothing came out of it.

‘I will make the choice’

Meanwhile, according to the grapevine in the BJP, a few senior leaders in the Congress would be coerced to join their ranks in the coming days.  When one of Shivakumar’s men asked him about this soon after the recent Cabinet meeting, the minister is said to have told him that there was pressure on him for the past two months. “But, I will make my choice on what to do,’’ he is said to have told his associate.