ED moves SC against Delhi HC order granting bail to Shivakumar

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court order granting bail to Congress leader DK Shivakumar in alleged connection with a money-laundering case being probed by the agency.

On October 23, the Delhi High Court had granted bail to Shivakumar while taking into note that he had been extensively interrogated by the probe agency since his arrest on September 3.

It had said that there was no material on record to show that he was a flight risk and there was no chance of tampering of evidence as all files are already under the custody of the agency.

Shivakumar had approached the High Court challenging the trial court's order denying him bail. He was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

While granting him the bail, the High Court had asked him not to influence witnesses, tamper with evidence, leave the country without prior permission to the court and make himself available for investigation when required.

The alleged money laundering case was registered against him by the ED in September last year, based on a complaint filed the Income Tax Department, alleging tax evasion and hawala transactions amounting to crores.