Gold smuggling case: ED raids continue at premises linked to Home Minister G Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): The ED on Thursday continued its searches at places linked to Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara as part of the probe into alleged gold smuggling-linked money laundering case against Kannada actress Ranya Rao and others, official sources said.
According to sources, searches continued in Siddhartha Engineering College, Siddhartha Medical College and Siddhartha College in the state.
The ED sleuths on Wednesday raided 16 locations in the state under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) targeting hawala operators and accommodation entry operators who allegedly made "fake" financial transactions into Rao's accounts.
The Enforcement Directorate filed a PMLA case a few months ago after taking cognisance of a CBI and DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) complaint into a larger gold smuggling racket in India, including the case of Rao.
The ED sources said 'an educational trust' is suspected to have 'diverted' funds and made a payment of Rs 40 lakh towards the credit card bill of Rao, allegedly on the instructions of an influential individual.
Rao was arrested on March 3 at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after arriving from Dubai. Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials detained her and seized gold bars weighing 14.2 kg and valued at over Rs 12.56 crore.
Rao and co-accused Tarun Kondaru Raju were granted bail on Tuesday by a special court for Economic Offences in Bengaluru in connection with the gold smuggling case.
The court approved their default bail applications after the DRI failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated period. Rao, however, will continue to remain behind bars.
Authorities have filed a separate case against her under the stringent Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA), a preventive detention law designed to tackle smuggling and preserve foreign exchange reserves.
Under COFEPOSA, individuals can be held without trial for up to a year based on suspicion of involvement in such activities.
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Uproar in Karnataka Assembly as opposition protests demanding minister to resign
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Wednesday witnessed uproarious scenes with BJP and JD(S) members protesting from the well of the House, demanding the resignation of Excise Minister R B Timmapur, alleging a multi-crore scam in his department.
The opposition on Tuesday had staged an all-night protest in the Assembly after Timmapur refused to quit over corruption charges against him and his son in liquor licensing and transfer of officials.
As the House met for the day, BJP and JD(S) MLAs, who were in the well of the House, shouted slogans, demanding Timmapur's resignation.
Leading the charge, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka alleged that in the Excise Department, bribes are being taken for granting licenses and for facilitating transfers.
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Wine merchants' association has alleged that the scam in the excise department is to the tune of about Rs 6,000 crore, and related audio recordings have been released, complaints have been filed with the Lokayukta, he said.
He also claimed that the "looted money" was being used by the ruling Congress to fund the party in election-bound states.
Stating that he has provided three pen drives in the House, containing audio evidence to prove alleged scam in the excise department, and there are statement made by an Excise Deputy Commissioner about commissions going to the Minister, Ashoka said, Thimmapur should immediately resign, and there should be an inquiry.
"I urge the Chief Minister to take the Minister's resignation immediately, let there be an inquiry, and after three months if he is proved innocent, take him back in to the ministry," he said, adding that K J George of Congress and K S Eshwarappa, earlier with BJP, had resigned as ministers in the past, following allegations against them.
Questions are being asked as to what is the CM's share in this scam, for not taking any action against the minister, who is facing charges, the opposition leader said, "Siddaramaiah preaches morality, but does he have any morality?"
Valmiki ST Development Corporation funds were used by the ruling Congress for Lok Sabha polls, he alleged.
"Now for Assam polls, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar is the Congress election in-charge and for Kerala K J George is the in-charge, and the fund used in these elections is the Karnataka Excise department's. We have been alleging that Congress is using Karnataka as its ATM, but now it is emerging that for the Congress leadership, Karnataka is a Reserve Bank to fund their elections."
Following this, BJP and JD(S) members protesting from the well of the House shouted slogans demanding the Minister Timmapur's resignation; some slogans were also raised against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
As his repeated attempts to convince the opposition to withdraw the protest failed, Speaker U T Khader allowed the Congress members to continue with the discussion on the resolution moved by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Assembly on Tuesday, urging the Centre to immediately repeal the VB-G RAM G act and reinstate MGNREGA.
After some time, as the protest and sloganeering intensified, Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Manappa Lamani, who was on the Chair, adjourned the House for some time.
