The Congress government in Karnataka finds itself embroiled in a deepening controversy following startling revelations that senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, who appeared in court to defend the state’s controversial decision to withdraw a CBI probe against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, was allegedly paid crores of rupees without even submitting original remuneration bills — a move that has triggered accusations of secrecy, procedural violations, and political shielding at the taxpayers’ expense.
Documents accessed via the Right to Information Act (RTI) reveal that despite Sibal demanding a whopping Rs 3.16 crore in legal fees, neither the Home Department’s Crimes-A Branch nor the Law Department had officially appointed him to represent the government in these sensitive cases. Even more shockingly, only Xerox copies of his bills were received, prompting the Home Department to raise internal red flags and seek clarification from the Advocate General’s office.
Kapil Sibal not officially appointed, bills under cloud Correspondence dated April 24, 2025, from Under Secretary Ambika of the Home Department’s Crimes-A Branch, exposes the heart of the irregularity. In an email to the Advocate General’s office, she stated that only photocopies of bills filed by Sibal were received and demanded the originals for verification. However, no such originals have been submitted to date — even as discussions over payment proceeded.
Worse, a reply dated May 22, 2025, from the very same Crimes-A Branch to an RTI application declared that Kapil Sibal was never appointed to argue in these writ petitions (Nos. 27084/2024, 22356/2024, and 27484/2024) and any information about his appearance should be sought from the Advocate General.
This contradiction — of the Home Department both entertaining payment requests and denying his official appointment — has now become a major point of political contention.
Who authorised a Rs 3.16 crore payout?
Kapil Sibal is reported to have charged Rs 2.80 crore for defending the withdrawal of the CBI probe against D K Shivakumar in the Supreme Court and High Court and ₹1.49 crore for representing the government in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case involving CM Siddaramaiah’s wife, who allegedly received 14 irregular site allotments.
Despite no official appointment, his fees were deliberated in a government meeting held on March 26, 2025, to finalise payments to senior advocates appearing on behalf of the state. The Cabinet proposal to withdraw the CBI case against Shivakumar was moved by the Home Department, with Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara personally approving the decision — just days before the High Court was to hear a petition seeking cancellation of the BJP government’s earlier order transferring the case to the CBI.
BJP alleges “legal money laundering”
The BJP, quick to pounce on the revelations, has accused the Congress government of engaging in “institutionalised legal money laundering” to protect its top brass from criminal scrutiny.
“Crores of public money were handed over to a political ally under a veil of secrecy, without any appointment order or bill verification. This is a complete breakdown of transparency and accountability,” said BJP spokesperson Captain Ganesh Karnik.
He further questioned why the Law Department redirected RTI queries to the Home Department if the appointment was never formalised. “The people of Karnataka deserve to know: Who authorised this payout? Was it cleared through Cabinet? Were the Finance Department and the Auditor General informed? Or was this done off the books?”
Congress silent as pressure builds
The Congress government has so far remained tight-lipped. Neither CM Siddaramaiah, DCM Shivakumar, nor Home Minister Parameshwara have commented on the matter despite mounting pressure from the opposition and civil society groups.
Legal experts have also raised eyebrows over the lack of procedural rigour, warning that the issue could snowball into a legal and ethical crisis for the government.
“This isn’t just about a missing bill. This is about hiring a sitting Rajya Sabha MP to defend a decision that directly benefits the political establishment — all while bypassing standard appointment and verification protocols,” said retired High Court judge Justice R. Bhandari.
Public funds to silence probes?
At the heart of the scandal lies an uncomfortable question: Did the Congress government misuse public funds to shield its own leaders from criminal investigations?
The CBI probe against D.K. Shivakumar relates to unaccounted wealth exceeding Rs 200 crore, while the MUDA case involves irregular site allotments to the Chief Minister’s wife. Both cases were being actively pursued under the previous BJP government and were reversed swiftly after the Congress returned to power.
Now, not only has the state withdrawn the cases, but it is also found to have paid massive sums to a politically aligned advocate — without formal appointments or basic documentation.
With the High Court likely to seek clarifications, and new RTI disclosures continuing to emerge, this could spiral into a full-blown political and legal storm in Karnataka. As opposition parties gear up for a fresh campaign against the Congress on corruption and misuse of power, the question remains: Is the government more interested in protecting its leaders than upholding the rule of law?
