Bengaluru, May 22 (IANS) Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara declined to comment on the alleged linking of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at his institutions to the gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao.

Speaking to the media on Thursday here, Parameshwara, when asked about the raids being conducted in connection with the gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao, said, “The investigation is ongoing. The outcome at the end is what matters. Until then, everything is speculative.”

When questioned about the ED’s findings that Rs 40 lakh was paid from his institution to Ranya Rao, the main accused in the gold smuggling case, Parameshwara said, “Let them continue with their investigations. As I mentioned earlier, I will extend full cooperation. They need to formally inform me and the institution about this matter, and once they do, we will respond accordingly.”

Parameshwara further stated, “I will not comment on the alleged connection between the ED raids on our institutions and the gold smuggling case. Let the official report come first. Who has said there is a connection? I will not respond to someone else’s statements.”

“As a person holding a responsible position, I will not make speculative remarks,” he added.

Commenting on the raids, he said, “Officers from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Delhi visited three of our institutions and our university. I am not aware of the exact mandate or instructions they have received.”

He clarified that the institutions visited were Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Siddhartha Medical College in Tumakuru, Siddhartha Medical College in Begur, and Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education University.

“After visiting our institutions, they sought details of our accounts from the past four to five years. Once I was informed, I instructed my staff to provide them with all the necessary account details, including audited accounts from previous years,” he said.

He added that the verification continued on Thursday. “We are not aware of the intention behind the ED’s actions. However, we have fully cooperated with the ED officers and will continue to do so. There is no question of hiding anything.”

“I have always respected the law. The law of the land is the same for everyone — there are no separate laws for the powerful and the poor,” he said.

“I will continue to respect the law under all circumstances. This is a matter concerning the institution, not me personally. As an institution, we will cooperate fully and comply with any mandates they issue,” Parameshwara said.

When asked about the Congress party’s allegation that the BJP is targeting leaders from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, he said he was unaware of it. “I don’t want to speak on this at this stage. I won’t say the ED takes caste background into account while investigating. I don’t know in what context Congress leaders made those statements.”

“I have nothing further to say in this regard,” he added.

When asked if he was being targeted because he is projected as the next Chief Minister, Parameshwara laughed and declined to comment.

He said, “The BJP is making allegations, but they are mere allegations. The ED sleuths haven’t contacted me directly. The searches have only been conducted at educational institutions.”

“Our institution has completed 68 years and continues to grow. We have established engineering and medical colleges. In fact, we took over an engineering college on the outskirts of Tumakuru that was on the verge of closure at the request of a Congress leader. Everything regarding this transaction is in black and white — there is nothing hidden. We are trying to revive the institution, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

He added, “Over the past 45 years, about 45,000 engineers and 10,000 doctors have graduated from our institutions. This is a humble service to society started by my father. We want our institution to keep growing.”

–IANS

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