The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed a plea in the Supreme Court challenging Delhi High Court order granting bail to Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar in a money laundering case being probed by ED.

Shivakumar was granted bail on Oct 23 by the Delhi High Court on a personal bond of Rs 25 lakh and two sureties of like amount each.

The Court had also told him not to leave the country.

Shivakumar was arrested by the ED on Sep 3 in connection with a money laundering case.

A seven time MLA,  he was booked along with an employee of Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi and a few others over charges of corruption and money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The case was based on a charge sheet filed by the Income Tax Department against Shivakumar and others last year before a special court in Bengaluru on charges of alleged tax evasion and ”hawala” transactions worth crores or rupees.

The I-T department has accused Shivakumar and his alleged associate S K Sharma of indulging in transactions involving huge amounts of unaccounted money on a regular basis through ‘hawala’ channels with the help of three other accused.

—India Legal Bureau