I-T raid case: D K Shivakumar gets bail, told not to tamper with evidence

BENGALURU: A Special Court hearing cases relating to Economic offences, here on Thursday granted bail to Energy Minister D K Shivakumar who is facing charges of attempting to destroy crucial evidence during the Income Tax raids on August 2.

The court granted bail to Mr Shivakumar while imposing certain conditions including directions to furnish a bond of '25,000 along with two sureties of the equal amount and not to tamper with evidence and influence witnesses in the case, and to co-operate with the investigation.

The minister who appeared before the court, argued through his advocate denying charges that there was any attempt to destroy evidence and that Mr Shivakumar has filed a statement before the Income Tax office officials. “There have been attempts to divert the probe. Also, the charges against the accused in the case are bailable offences,” the advocate for D.K. Shivakumar argued. It was also argued that the numbers written on the loose sheets of paper, allegedly torn by the minister, added up to only '20.

However, the advocate for Income Tax department argued that the torn pieces of paper showed a calculation that added up to more than '10 crore.