A Bengaluru court has granted permission to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to travel abroad for a period of two years in connection with an ongoing tax evasion case registered by the Income Tax Department.
The order was passed by the XLII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Bengaluru, presided over by Judge K N Shivakumar, in the case titled Income Tax Department vs D K Shivakumar and Others.
Court grants travel permission
Allowing Shivakumar’s application, the court permitted him to travel to the United States, the United Kingdom, European countries and other destinations for official, political and personal purposes during the approved period.
The court observed that the Deputy Chief Minister had sought relaxation of travel restrictions imposed as part of the ongoing proceedings and that the request merited consideration under the circumstances presented before the court.
Case remains under trial
The tax evasion case against Shivakumar and others continues to be under judicial consideration. The court’s order relates only to foreign travel permissions and does not affect the merits of the case, which remains pending.
Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, has previously maintained that the allegations against him are politically motivated and has contested the proceedings through legal channels.
Significant relief for Deputy CM
The order is being viewed as a significant relief for the senior Congress leader, allowing him to undertake international travel without having to seek repeated court approvals during the next two years.
The development comes amid Shivakumar’s active involvement in state administration and party affairs in Karnataka