ED Cracks Down in Karnataka: High-Profile Searches in Money Laundering Probe

In a major crackdown, the Enforcement Directorate searched 18 locations in Karnataka, including homes of PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi and his daughter, over alleged money laundering. The operation aims to uncover illegal money transfers abroad, as ED intensifies its investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its investigation into alleged money laundering in Karnataka on Wednesday, conducting searches at 18 different locations. High-profile figures such as state PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi and his daughter, Priyanka Jarkiholi, a Member of Parliament, were among those whose residences were scrutinized.

Teams from the ED, in coordination with security forces, executed simultaneous operations based on specific intelligence inputs. This action follows a previous search operation from three months ago involving Y Manjunath, the Additional Commissioner of Excise and brother-in-law of Satish Jarkiholi, in Belagavi.

The current searches are reportedly connected to investigations into the illegal transfer of funds to foreign countries, with the ED seeking to trace the money trail. This is part of a broader investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.