Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jun 22: Karnataka water resources and medical education minister D K Shivakumar has denied allegations by income tax (I-T) department that he operates a 'hawala network' and has made unaccounted cash payment to All India Congress Committee (AICC).

"I have not done anything wrong. I have neither given any money to Congress party nor used hawala network. You know what politics and pressure tactics are going on," he told the media on Friday June 22.

The special court of economic offences, Bengaluru, has issued summons to Shivakumar, his relatives and business associates based on a complaint filed by the income tax department. The income tax department said that Shivakumar was involved in "transporting huge amount of unaccounted cash on regular basis through hawala channels".

The I-T department had filed a complaint at the special court for economic offences on Thursday June 21, claiming Shivakumar and proprietor of Sharma Transports Sunil Kumar Sharma directed V Mulgund to deliver Rs 3 crore of unaccounted cash personally to AICC on January 1, 2017. A similar payment was done on January 9 amounting to Rs 2 crore, the I-T department said.

Anjaneya Hanumanthaiah, who is allegedly in-charge of storing and handling Shivakumar’s unaccounted cash in Delhi, Sachin Narayan, an alleged business partner of Shivakumar and N Rajendra a caretaker at Karnataka Bhavan have also been named accused in the case.

However, Shivakumar told the media that he himself was shocked with the developments and added that he had no connection with the money found with Hanumanthaiah. He said he has pinned his hopes on the judiciary.

Karnataka Congress secretary V Mulgund who has also been named in the notice as the point of contact between Shivakumar and the Congress for transferring the money has also denied the charges. "I deny these allegations. I have not transferred any such money. The department has no proof of the transactions," said Mulgund.