Bengaluru: Former Congress minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is now in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved a bail petition before the ED designated court in New Delhi, which will come up for hearing on September 13.
His advocates have moved the bail petition contending that there was no need for ED custody as Mr Shivakumar is fully cooperating with the investigating agency.
Meanwhile, the designated court granted Mr Shivakumar permission to have discussions with his advocate in private and said he should be provided with a shaving kit but declined to provide newspapers, writing paper or pen.
Earlier, Mr Shivakumar had requested the court for privacy with his lawyers as the interrogating officers used to sit within hearing distance, whenever he had a conversation with his advocates.
The Congress leader’s lawyers contended that a person in custody should be able to interact with his lawyers in private and that officers could not eavesdrop on the conversation between the petitioner and his advocates.
The court allowed the request and directed the ED officials to allow Mr Shivakumar and his lawyers to have discussions in private.
In a related development, the seer of the Adichunchanagiri Matha, Nirmalanandanatha Swami visited the house of Mr Shivakumar at Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru Monday evening and expressed his solidarity with the family of the Vokkaliga community leader.
