Ready to cooperate with probe, says Karnataka home minister Parameshwara after ED raids
Among the premises raided by ED on Wednesday were the Sri Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Siddhartha Medical College in Tumakuru and Siddhartha Medical College in Begur, as well as the Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education, a deemed-to-be university. Parameshwara is the chancellor of the deemed-to-be university to which the colleges are affiliated.
According to ED officials, their probe has revealed the trust which runs the institutions had paid ₹40 lakh to clear Kannada actor Ranya Rao's credit card bills.
Rao, the step daughter of former DGP Murlidhar Rao, was arrested from Bengaluru international airport on March 3 with 14.2 kilograms of gold bars estimated to cost ₹12.56 crore. She was recently granted bail after the investigating agency failed to file a charge sheet within the statutory deadline but continues to be in custody under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (Cofeposa).
Parameshwara said the central agency has sought financial records for four to five years.
'I have asked the staff to co-operate and provide them with whatever documents or details they asked for related to the institution. Obviously, they have questioned the staff in our accounts section,' Parameshwara told reporters on Thursday.
'Whatever comes out of their verification or search or whatever you call it, I am ready to cooperate. I have told the same to our staff. Because it is an institution. It is not an individual,' he added.
Parameshwara declined to comment on allegations that the trust had spent ₹40 lakh to pay Ranya Rao's credit card bills. 'I don't want to comment at this point of time,' he said. 'Let the investigation get completed. They must give us a report. I don't want to react.'
Some Congress leaders speculate that Parameshwara was being targeted because he was seen as a potential candidate for the chief minister's post. Parameshwara declined to comment on the political angle, stating, 'There will be a time when I will come out and talk about it. At this point, no comments.'
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who met Parameshwara on Thursday, downplayed the allegations.
Shivakumar said the minister had informed him that he had given a gift at the time of Ranya Rao's wedding. 'I just spoke to Parameshwara, there was a marriage (ceremony), we are in public life, we run institutions. As a gesture to people we know, we give lots of gifts, we give Re 1, ₹10, ₹10 lakh, ₹5 lakh. I think he might have also given a gift. It was a wedding, nothing wrong in it,' Shivakumar said.
The deputy chief minister said public figures often meet hundreds of people and are not always aware of their personal dealings. 'Whatever activities done by that lady is a personal issue, the law will take its course. As far as Parameshwara is concerned, we meet thousands of people, we don't know who does what. We don't want to interfere with the law and ED,' he added.
BJP leader and former minister R Ashoka said the Siddhartha institutions were under scrutiny due to suspected financial ties to gold smuggling operations. 'It is established in the investigation that the gold was brought here and given to many persons. They might have got the information on the gold smuggling money being invested in the Siddhartha Education institutions,' he said, demanding strict action against all those involved.
Ashoka also referred to ongoing investigations involving Congress leaders in other cases, and said those found guilty should face the consequences.
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