Enforcement Directorate raids solar plants in Ballari

Ballari: Officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED)  on Friday began search operations in solar power plants at Gaddikere village in Hagaribommanahalli taluk in the district, which are suspected to be benami properties owned by Congress legislator D.K. Shivakumar, who is now in the Enforcement Directorate custody in a money laundering case.

Sources said that six solar power plants were sanctioned for Gaddigere when Mr Shivakumar was energy minister during the tenure of former chief minister Siddaramaiah.

Of the six plants, one each is owned by T.  Chandrashekhar and Srinath Malagi of Hagaribommanahalli and Bagalkote, respectively.  Four plants have been sanctioned to Razia Saleem, Gangaraju, Manasa and S. Shashidhar all from Bengaluru.

The ED sleuths who arrived in two SUVs from Bengaluru are still continuing the search operations.