SC again refuses to stay criminal proceedings by IT authorities against D K Shivakumar

The Supreme Court on Thursday again refused to stay the criminal proceedings initiated by the Income Tax authorities against former Karnataka minister and state Congress president D K Shivakumar for alleged recovery of undisclosed wealth following raid conducted at his premises in 2017.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian gave two weeks additional time to I-T department to file their response to the petition by Shivakumar.

The court gave one week to the petitioner to file rejoinder and put the matter for consideration after four weeks.

Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and S Ganesh asked the court to stay the proceedings but the court decided to await a response from the I-T department.

The court had on July 20 issued notice to the Income Tax department on a special leave petition filed by Shivakumar. It had then also refused to stay the proceedings.

In his plea, the petitioner challenged validity of the Karnataka High Court's order of November 12, 2019, declining to give him relief. The HC had then dismissed his criminal revision petition against the order passed by Additional Sessions judge, Bengaluru, rejecting his plea for discharge in a complaint filed by deputy director, Income Tax investigation for having committed offence under the tax laws and provisions of the Indian Penal Code.