Am I the only to have made wealth, asks DK Shivakumar

KPCC president D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said he was not the only one in the state to have accumulated wealth, suggesting that he was being targeted.

The former minister is under the CBI lens in an alleged case of disproportionate assets (DA) case. He appeared before the agency during the day in response to summons.

“Am I the only one who has made wealth? Till now, how many people has the CBI taken up a DA case against? Is there a commission against me or is there proof, complaint or a court case against me? Have I accepted a bribe or misused government office,” Shivakumar asked while speaking to reporters prior to appearing before the CBI.

He said Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa could have got these charges probed without having to get the CBI involved.

“The Advocate General, in his advice to the government, had said that this was not a case to be given (to CBI). He said the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau could have taken it up,” Shivakumar said.

The Congress leader said he would not comment on the CBI’s style of functioning. “They have a manual that they follow. I have gone through the manual, which is what I did for 48 days (in prison). What can officials do anyway, except obeying what they’re told to do?” he said, adding that he was ready to cooperate with the CBI.

On October 5, the CBI raided 14 locations across Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai that were linked to Shivakumar, in connection with alleged corruption cases against him. In a statement, the CBI said it had booked the former minister for allegedly possessing disproportionate assets worth Rs 74 crore.

The CBI’s raids were preceded by a preliminary inquiry in March 2020, when Shivakumar was appointed as the KPCC president.