The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reportedly issued a notice to the Kerala-based Jaihind channel, soliciting comprehensive information regarding the investments made on the channel by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. This request is linked to an ongoing disproportionate assets case against the Congress leader, according to officials on Sunday.
The Bengaluru unit of the CBI, currently delving into the case against Shivakumar, has summoned the Managing Director of Jaihind Communications Pvt Ltd to appear before it on January 11, 2024. The agency has specified that all relevant documents requested by the investigating officer should be presented during this appearance.
Issued under Section 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the notice stipulates that the channel must furnish details encompassing investments made by Shivakumar and his wife Usha Shivakumar. This includes dividends paid to them, share transactions, financial transactions, and associated bank details. The channel is also required to provide a statement of holdings, ledger accounts, contract notes, and transactions of all share transactions, among other details.
CrPC Section 91 confers the authority upon a police investigation officer to summon documents pertinent to a case under investigation.
Furthermore, the CBI has extended its inquiry to include details of investments made by Shivakumar's son and other family members in the channel.
B S Shiju, the Managing Director of Jaihind, acknowledged the receipt of the CBI notice and assured that the agency would receive all the requested documents. He asserted that all relevant records are in their possession and maintained that there is no involvement in any illegality. Shiju went on to allege that the CBI's actions are indicative of political vendetta by the BJP-led government at the Centre.
In his capacity as a Congress leader in Kerala, Shiju claimed that the case had previously been investigated and closed by the previous BJP-led Karnataka government due to the absence of identified illegality. He expressed concern that the reopening of the case is an endeavor to "harass" the Congress party and its leaders ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The CBI initiated a case against Shivakumar in 2020, alleging that between 2013 and 2018, he had accumulated assets worth over Rs 74 crore, allegedly disproportionate to his income.
