Delhi court permits Karnataka Dy CM Shivakumar to travel abroad amid money laundering case

New Delhi, Nov 27: A Delhi court has granted permission to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to travel abroad.

Special Judge Vikas Dhull allowed Shivakumar, accused in a money laundering case, to visit Dubai from November 29 to December 3.

The court's decision came in response to Shivakumar's application, citing an invitation to attend the COP28 Local Climate Action Summit in Dubai from Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and Michael R Bloomberg.

Acknowledging the right to travel as part of personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution, the judge said that this right is not absolute and can be reasonably restricted, especially during an ongoing investigation or trial to prevent the risk of the accused absconding.

Considering Shivakumar's extensive political background as an eight-time MLA from Karnataka and the current Deputy Chief Minister, the judge deemed the likelihood of him fleeing from India as remote.

The court imposed conditions on Shivakumar, including furnishing a Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) of Rs 5 lakh before travel, providing a complete travel itinerary with contact details, and refraining from contacting co-accused or influencing witnesses during the trip.

The application said that the accused had a history of foreign travel without any flight risk and argued that the investigation was complete, with no criminal antecedents on Shivakumar's part.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), however opposed the application alleging the accused's involvement in a criminal conspiracy related to moving tainted cash.