Shivakumar refutes reports on Siddhartha

Congress leader D K Shivakumar on Friday said he had business dealings with the late V G Siddhartha, but strongly refuted reports suggesting that they led to the death of the Cafe Coffee Day founder.

"I am a politician and a businessman. Likewise, Siddhartha was also a businessman. I have the right to do politics and business, just like Siddhartha had the right to run his businesses. Our rights were different. It’s true we had small business transactions, but it’s wrong to say that they pushed Siddhartha towards death,” Shivakumar said in a statement.

"Siddhartha and I were friends for 30 years. In fact, our bond was beyond friendship. Only we know the depths of the bond we shared, which will continue even after his demise. Those who cannot withstand this have resorted to spreading false news,” Shivakumar said.

It may be noted that soon after the news of Siddhartha going missing and his possible death emerged on July 30, Shivakumar said in a tweet: "I received a call from him on the 28th asking if we could meet up. It’s unbelievable that a courageous man like him would resort to this."