BENGALURU: Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara on Thursday stated that he would fully cooperate with Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, who are currently verifying documents at educational institutions linked to him.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, the Home Minister said he was unaware of the reasons behind the ongoing ED operations but assured that he would extend complete cooperation.
“I will not say anything. Let the report come,” he said when asked if the ED raids were linked to actress Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case.
Dr Parameshwara confirmed that ED officials had visited the Sri Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Sri Siddhartha Medical College in Tumkur, Sri Siddhartha Medical College in Begur, and the Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education University. “They have visited these institutions. My staff have informed me that the officials have been seeking accounts for the past four to five years. I instructed the staff to cooperate and provide whatever information was requested. They have collected some information and, naturally, they have questioned our Accounts Section staff. The process is still ongoing,” he said.
The Home Minister emphasised that he believes in the rule of law and is prepared to cooperate fully with the ED’s inquiries. “It is an institution, not an individual,” he remarked.
When asked about allegations that Rs 40 lakh from the institution’s accounts had been used to pay Ranya Rao’s credit card bills, he said, “I don’t know. I don’t want to comment at this point. Let the investigation conclude. They will have to submit a report, and only after that will I respond. I don’t want to react now.”
Congress leaders have accused the Union Government of targeting the Dalit leader in Karnataka. However, when asked whether he believed the ED raids on his institutions were politically motivated, the minister replied that he would comment only after the investigations were complete.
Dr Parameshwara also refuted allegations that land recently purchased by the institutions was undervalued. “No, it is not. There are proper authorities to evaluate it. Sub-registrars determine the value, and the Revenue Department has systems to verify if it is undervalued or overvalued. This was a fair transaction. If there’s anything wrong, let them find it,” he said in response to a query.
He appealed to the media not to speculate and to wait for the findings of the investigation.