DK Suresh appears before ED in probe linked to woman posing as his sister

Hindustan Times

6 hours ago

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress leader and former member of Parliament (MP) DK Suresh appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Bengaluru on Monday, in connection with a case involving a woman accused of impersonating his sister and defrauding a local jeweller. DK Suresh (File Photo)
ED summoned Suresh after the arrest of Aishwarya Gowda, who is alleged to have used his and his brother and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar's names to cheat a businessman of nearly ₹ 9.82 crore.
Ahead of his appearance, Suresh criticised ED's actions and questioned the agency's jurisdiction. 'Both the Supreme Court and high courts have stated that ED is crossing its limits. If, despite these observations, ED fails to correct its course, it puts the democratic system of the country at risk,' he told reporters.
The case against Aishwarya Gowda involves accusations of cheating, impersonation, and laundering proceeds of crime. She was arrested by ED on June 21 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), after searches at multiple locations in April led to the seizure of documents and nearly ₹ 2.25 crore in cash. According to officials, she had falsely introduced herself as the sister of the two Congress leaders to extract gold and money from a Bengaluru-based jeweller.
While Suresh's name surfaced because of the impersonation, he has denied any financial links to the accused. 'There is no financial connection or transaction between that woman and me. I had only attended two programmes, and she met me at my office three or four times to discuss a few matters. But there is nothing related to this case,' he clarified.
He further added, 'She resided in the constituency, I met her and attended a couple of programmes with her. There's nothing beyond that. I will provide ED with all the information they seek.'
Suresh also claimed his voice may have been mimicked to carry out the alleged fraud. 'It is alleged that my voice was mimicked and crimes were committed using it. The Karnataka police have investigated this and multiple cases have been filed at the police station. I am not aware of the outcome of that investigation.'
Maintaining that he would cooperate fully, Suresh said he had arrived at the ED office with his legal counsel. 'I will come to know after the questioning. Their questions will reveal the direction of the investigation. That will also make it clear whether I am connected to the case or not,' he said.
He also criticised the agency's motives. 'It is evident that ED is acting as a puppet of the central government. Let me see what they will do.'
Responding to the developments, DK Shivakumar defended his brother and questioned the attention the case has received. 'ED has summoned my brother based on someone's statement. People have the right to meet their elected representatives at their offices. He is ready to answer all questions.'
Shivakumar also referred to his own experience with ED. 'We are ready to face any investigation. What happened to the ED case that was filed against me? No one came to my rescue, and eventually, I got justice from the judiciary.'
Calling out what he described as selective media coverage, he said, 'Why is the media projecting this as such a major development? There are certain stories you never highlight, yet you choose to highlight this.'
BJP state president BY Vijayendra and leader of opposition R Ashok didn't respond to calls for a comment on the allegations by Suresh.