Sonia Gandhi meets Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar in Delhi's Tihar Jail

New Delhi: Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday met former Karnataka minister and senior party leader DK Shivakumar, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case, at the Tihar Central Jail in Delhi.

Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka KC  Venugopal also accompanied the Congress chief during the visit.

Delhi: Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi leaves from Tihar Jail after meeting Congress leader DK Shivakumar, who is currently lodged in the jail under judicial custody, in connection with a money laundering case. https://t.co/ZWBTDI9UyQ pic.twitter.com/zLGKQDJ9fm — ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2019

Sonia Gandhi reached Tihar Jail around 9:00 am and was with Shivakumar for about 30 minutes.

On Monday, former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had visited Shivakumar, who has been in judicial custody in Tihar Jail in connection with a money laundering case.

DK Shivakumar, 57, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on September 3 in a money laundering case. 

He is currently lodged in Tihar Central Jail under judicial custody. Notably, an ED probe in the case is underway. 

A Congress strongman in Karnataka, Shivakumar was instrumental in the smooth functioning of the JD-S and Congress coalition government.

Last month, Sonia Gandhi along with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in jail. Chidambaram was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Tuesday in the INX media case.

The Delhi High Court is likely to pronounce on Wednesday its order on the bail plea of Shivakumar in a money laundering case. 

Justice Suresh Kait had reserved the order on October 17 on his bail plea in which he claimed that the case was a result of political rivalry and there was not enough evidence against him. 

Shivakumar has challenged the trial court's order denying him bail in the case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed his bail plea saying he was an influential person and, if released, he could tamper with evidence and influence witnesses. 

Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA in Karnataka, was booked along with Haumanthaiah -- an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi-- and others for alleged offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

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

(With Agency inputs)