New Delhi:  Congress MLA and former Minister D.K. Shivakumar (DKS), who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case, was questioned under custody at the ED office here for the third consecutive day on Friday.

Shivakumar was arrested by the ED on the night of Sept.3, after being questioned for four days. Following his arrest, Shivakumar was kept at a Police rest room on the first day and the second day, he was put behind bars in a cell of Tughlak Road Police Station which is said to have mentally shattered him.

Standing behind bars, Shivakumar with tears rolling down his eyes, is said to have told the Police that he was a top leader in Karnataka and now the BJP has brought him to this disgusting situation.

Even as Shivakumar has been put behind bars, former CM and top JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) visited DKS’ mother Gowramma at his (DKS) native village Dodda Alahalli in Kanakapura taluk and expressed his solidarity with her. Kumaraswamy pacified an inconsolable Gowramma that her son Shivakumar would come out of the case.

Later speaking to press persons, HDK alleged that Shivakumar has been targeted by the Centre of  protecting Gujarat Congress Legislators during last year’s Rajya Sabha elections.

Accusing BJP of misusing central agencies like CBI, ED, I-T etc., HDK wondered why these agencies had not carried out raids on BJP leaders for the alleged ‘Operation Lotus,’ which was aimed at poaching Congress and JD(S) MLAs by offering huge sums of money.