DK Shivakumar's mother skips ED questioning

Senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar's mother Gowramma and wife Usha have approached Delhi High Court seeking quashing of summons issued to them by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the money laundering case against the leader.

Gowramma was issued summons to appear before the ED on Tuesday but she skipped it while Usha has been asked to come for questioning on Thursday.

Their petitions are likely to be taken up for hearing on Wednesday.

Earlier, Shivakumar's brother D K Suresh, also a Lok Sabha MP, told reporters that they had requested the ED to give another date for appearance and that she will come for the questioning then. "If the ED calls again, she will come," Suresh said.

The summons to Gowramma was referred to in the Delhi High Court by Shivakumar's lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi during the bail plea hearing, which has now been posted to October 17. Singhvi asked what was the need to issue a summons to Shivakumar's mother, who is over 80 years.

Shivakumar, who was arrested on September 23, is presently lodged in Tihar Jail in judicial custody, which has now been extended till October 25.

The ED had alleged that Shivakumar, his family members and associates have maintained more than 317 bank accounts in 20 banks and made high-value transactions.

It has so far interrogated 11 persons in this case, including Shivakumar's daughter Aisshwarya, Belagavi Rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar and Apex Bank Chairman K N Rajanna.