Bengaluru, Dec 6 — Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday strongly condemned the notice issued to him by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in connection with the National Herald case, asserting that he would not be intimidated.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru and later in Hassan, Shivakumar said he received the notice on Friday and would respond to it after consulting his legal team. “The Delhi Police have asked for information by December 19. I will go for one day to reply appropriately. If they try to intimidate me, I will not bow down,” he declared.
Shivakumar said there was no justification for the Delhi Police to register a case against National Herald and Young Indian (YI), stating that donations made to the institution were legitimate and transparent. He added that his brother, D.K. Suresh, had also contributed when he served as an MP.
Calling the summons “shocking”, the Deputy CM alleged that the notice was intended to harass leaders associated with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. “Earlier, the ED had summoned us. We cooperated fully and provided all documents. The ED filed a charge sheet, recorded our statements, and closed it. So what is the need for a fresh summons now?” he asked.
According to sources, the EOW believes Shivakumar holds key information related to the FIR filed on October 3 against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The notice seeks detailed financial information, including transactions made by Shivakumar, his associates, companies, and trusts to Young Indian. The Shivakumar brothers had personally donated ₹2.5 crore, while another ₹2.5 crore reportedly came from his trusts.
Shivakumar reiterated that his transactions were transparent, taxes were duly paid, and donations were made to support a party-run institution facing financial distress. He maintained that the latest action was politically motivated and vowed to continue the legal fight.
