Overview

• The Enforcement Directorate provisionally attached four Karnataka properties valued at ₹34.12 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
• Attached assets comprise a residential house in Victoria Layout and a plot in Arkavathi Layout, Bengaluru, plus industrial land in Tumkur and agricultural land in Anekal Taluk.
• The move follows a Central Bureau of Investigation FIR on March 7, stemming from the March 3 DRI arrest of Rao at Bengaluru airport with 14.2 kg of concealed gold.
• ED investigators have traced ₹55.62 crore in illicit proceeds by analysing foreign invoices, customs records and hawala-linked remittances.
• Ongoing inquiries aim to recover remaining untraced funds, map hawala network operations and probe alleged public servant facilitation.