D K Shivakumar summoned again by IT, appears in person

Karnataka energy Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday was once again summoned by Income Tax officials in connection with raids carried out at his properties in August. The minister has appeared in person multiple times before the officials in the last two months.

Fresh summons was issued by the Income Tax department after officials found the need to get clarification from D K Shivakumar, the man who singlehandedly took care of Congress MLAs from Gujarat when they were lodged at a resort in Bengaluru ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls in the state. D K Shivakumar appeared before the Income Tax officials as asked on Thursday.

Properties belonging to the minister, his family, and friends in various locations including Mysuru and New Delhi apart from Bengaluru were raided over a period of three days in August. All his associates and select family members were issued summons to appear before the IT sleuths. While the minister, backed by the Siddaramaiah government, has continued to allege that the Income Tax department was acting on the behest of the union government to harass leaders of the opposition party, he has cooperated with the probe and responded to all summons issued.

D K Shivakumar was made responsible for 40 Congress MLAs from Gujarat who had been flown down to Bengaluru to allegedly stop the BJP from poaching them ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections. The exercise proved to be a huge success for the party with Ahmed Patel winning a Rajya Sabha seat along with BJP's Amit Shah and Smriti Irani.