THE ED onThursday continued its searches at places linked to Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara as part of the probe into alleged gold smuggling-linked money launderingcaseagainstKannada actress Ranya Rao and others.According to sources, searches continued in SiddharthaEngineeringCollege, SiddharthaMedicalCollege and Siddhartha College in the State.

 

The ED sleuths raided 16 locations in the State under the PreventionofMoneyLaundering Act targeting hawala operators andaccommodationentryoperators who allegedly made “fake” financial transactions into Rao’s accounts. The E D filed a PMLA case a few months ago aftertaking cognisance of a CBI and DRI complaint into a larger gold smuggling racket in India. The ED sources said ‘an educational trust’ is suspected to have ‘diverted’ funds and made a payment of Rs 40 lakh towards thecreditcardbillofRao,allegedlyontheinstructionsofaninfluential individual.

 

 

Parameshwara called on CM Siddaramaiah. However, sources said Parameshwara apprised the CM of the raids in connection with the gold smuggling case told the CM about the circumstances in which the raids have taken place,” they said. 

 

 

GParameshwaraonThursday assuredfullcooperationwith the Enforcement Directorate (ED)initsongoingraidsatthe educational institutions linked to him, as part of a money laundering investigationrelatedtoanallegedgold smuggling racket.