Bengaluru: Coming as a big relief to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar (DKS), the State Cabinet yesterday held the approval by the previous BJP Government to CBI to investigate a Dis-proportionate Assets (DA) case against Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar was ‘Unlawful,’ thereby paving way for the Government to withdraw the permission granted by the previous BJP Government, to the Central Agency. Sources said that with this decision, the Government will withdraw the permission accorded to the CBI in this case.

Briefing reporters after the State Cabinet meeting here yesterday, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said “The sanction to handover the case to the CBI was taken after an oral direction from the then BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in  Sept. 2019. However, the then Assembly Speaker’s sanction, that is mandatory , was not taken”.

He reiterated that the then Government had not fulfilled its legal obligation of obtaining permission from the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, of which D.K. Shivakumar was a member. Now, the Cabinet found the sanction unlawful and the procedure to withdraw the same will follow by way of Government orders in this regard, he added. 

Incidentally, Shivakumar was not present at the Cabinet meeting when the issue came up. The CBI is currently investigating DKS for possessing assets worth Rs. 74.93 crore, which is disproportionate to his known sources of income, during 2013-2018.

It may noted that recently, the Karnataka High Court refused to quash the CBI case registered against D.K. Shivakumar.