New Delhi, Sept. 4 (UNI&Agencies)- D.K. Shivakumar (DKS) had not anticipated his arrest when he met several Congress workers and leaders before heading towards Lok Nayak Bhavan on Monday for ED questioning.

For nearly an hour, he had met a large contingent from Mandya, Ramanagaram and Bengaluru at Karnataka Bhavan and had exuded confidence that authorities would not move to arrest him. Neither did he anticipate his arrest by authorities late in the night after over eight hours of questioning nor did Congress leaders who had met him.

However, sources from the ED say that the arrest was imminent under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The speculation around the arrest of Shivakumar and his four associates has been doing the rounds after the ED had registered a case against them under the PMLA in September 2018.

The case was based on the charge-sheet, which was filed by the Income Tax Department, Karnataka & Goa against Shivakumar and his four associates in early 2018 before a Special Court for Economic Offences (SCEO) in Bengaluru.

Though Shivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh had an inkling that the arrest might happen, they put up a brave face. Even when he was being taken to a medical check-up after the arrest, Shivakumar had said that he would face the arrest and that he was not a coward.

After his arrest, Shivakumar was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where he was attended to by doctors who tried to control his blood pressure and sugar levels. Sources said that Shivakumar spent last night inside the lock-up at the Tughlak Road Police Station. Sources had said since the ED does not have its own lock-up, the Congress leader spent the night in Police lock-up.

Not happy, pray he is out soon: CM

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa last night said that he was “not happy” with the arrest of political rival Shivakumar. “Let me tell you one thing, the arrest of Shivakumar did not bring me any happiness. I will pray to God that he will be out soon,” Yediyurappa said.

“I haven’t hated anyone in my life and haven’t meant to harm anyone. Justice will have to take its own course,” added the senior BJP leader. Yediyurappa said that he would be the “happiest” to receive the news of Shivakumar’s getting out.