Karnataka minister Shivakumar appears before I-T department

Karnataka Energy Minister D K Shivakumar arrives at the Income Tax department's office. Pic/PTI

Karnataka minister D K Shivakumar yesterday appeared before Income Tax department officials at the I-T office here in connection with the raids conducted at various properties linked to him last week.

After being grilled by the officials for three consecutive days in connection with an alleged tax evasion case, the state power minister was issued summons to appear before the department yesterday for questioning.

Shivakumar, who appeared along with his brother and Bengaluru (rural) MP D K Suresh, said the officials might call him again, whenever required.

"Income Tax authorities have every right to summon and question any assesse, businessman or individual. I have come here several times earlier also. They had asked me to appear anytime after 11 am, so I have come here," he said. He added that the I-T officials discussed his earlier statement and treated him "very respectfully".

In a swoop that has kicked up a political controversy, the I-T department, on August 2, began raiding various properties linked to Shivakumar, who hosted 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs at a resort on the city outskirts, to thwart the alleged "poaching" attempts by the BJP ahead of today's Rajya Sabha polls in that state. During the I-T raids at 66 places across the country, the officials said they had seized cash and jewellery, worth over Rs 15 crore.

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