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The Valmiki corporation was set up to support ST communities, but funds were allegedly diverted. Representative photo

ED raids Congress MP Tukaram, 3 MLAs in Karnataka in Valmiki fund scam probe

Searches linked to alleged misuse of Scheduled Tribe welfare funds through fake accounts and shell companies; ED suspects the money was used for election spending in Bellary


Bengaluru, Jun 11 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches against Congress' Bellary MP E Tukaram and three MLAs in Karnataka as part of a money laundering probe into the alleged Valmiki scam, official sources said.

The sources said premises linked to Tukaram and the three MLAs are being searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The money laundering case stems from FIRs registered by Karnataka Police and CBI which alleged that funds worth crores of rupees were diverted from the accounts of the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation (KMVSTDC) and sent to "fake accounts" before being laundered through shell entities.

The corporation was established in 2006 with a primary focus on the socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities in Karnataka by running welfare schemes for them.

The ED has alleged that the cash siphoned from the Valmiki funds was used in Bellary constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. PTI

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)

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