Bengaluru, May 21 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths raided educational institutions owned by Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara in Tumakuru on Wednesday.

The raids are underway at Home Minister Parameshwara’s Siddhartha Medical College in Heggare and Sri Siddhartha Institute of Technology (SSIT) in Saraswathipuram, Tumakuru city.

Sources confirmed that a college near T. Begur, close to Nelamangala town, was also being raided.

The simultaneous raids began at 9 a.m. at all locations.

ED officials are examining documents, conducting inspections, and carrying out search operations.

At the SSIT campus, ED officials arrived in three vehicles. Media entry has been restricted, while students with valid identity cards are being allowed inside. Local police have been deployed to ensure security.

More details of the raids are yet to emerge.

Several Congress leaders are under the ED scanner in connection with money laundering allegations.

On April 25, the ED raided premises linked to Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni in Karnataka amid allegations linking him to a woman accused of “cheating” a jeweller to the tune of crores of rupees.

However, Kulkarni said the ED is probing a case against him and alleged that he was being harassed by the agency for the past month.

The ED is also investigating the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, in which CM Siddaramaiah and his wife are named as accused persons.

Slamming the ED action, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had called it “political vendetta”.

The ED on Friday, April 4, conducted search operations at ten locations across Karnataka, including Bengaluru, in connection with a suspected Rs 90 crore scam linked to Bhovi Development Corporation.

The searches were conducted as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged misuse of funds meant for a state-sponsored employment scheme targeting the Bhovi community.

–IANS

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