I'm back,' says Shivakumar as he walks out of Tihar jail after bail

New Delhi: Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar was released from Tihar Jail on Wednesday evening following the Delhi High Court order granting him bail, said a jail official. He is accused in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

After the court order was received in the evening, he was released following a medical check-up and other formalities at 9.15 pm, the official added.

"I have been granted bail. So with all your good wishes and with all the wishes of my party workers and supporters across the country, I'm back. I want to thank all of you for your kind support in this hour of crisis," Shivakumar said after being released.

The judge, who granted him bail, also said that Shivakumar, 57, cannot tamper with the evidence as the documents are with the investigating agencies. The ED had challenged his bail plea.

Shivakumar was arrested by the ED on September 3 in the money laundering case. He was lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody and had challenged the trial court's order denying him bail in the case.

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' 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.