Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar Summoned By I-T Department

Bengaluru: The Income Tax department has summoned Karnataka energy minister D K Shivakumar and his family members to appear before it here tomorrow in connection with searches conducted at his properties in August for alleged tax evasion.

Shivakumar, his wife, mother and other family members have been summoned for questioning as part of a routine process following the searches, I-T department sources said. Shivakumar, the state's power minister, had already appeared before I-T officials in August and last month. A close aide of the minister confirmed the fresh summons to the minister.

"Yes, yes. The Income Tax Department has summoned our sir (D K Shivakumar) and his family members, including mother and wife," the aide said. The I-T department on August 2 conducted searches at various properties linked to Shivakumar, who had hosted 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs at a resort on city outskirts to forestall alleged attempts by the BJP to poach them ahead of the then Rajya Sabha polls. Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel was seeking re-election in the poll. He eventually won. The searches had kicked up a political row with the ruling Congress alleging misuse of the I-T department by the central government to target its leaders.