Latest news with #SiddharthaEngineeringCollege
New Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Gold smuggling case: ED raids continue at premises linked to Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara
BENGALURU: The ED on Thursday continued its searches at places linked to Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara as part of the probe into alleged gold smuggling-linked money laundering case against Kannada actress Ranya Rao and others, official sources said. According to sources, searches continued in Siddhartha Engineering College, Siddhartha Medical College and Siddhartha College in the state. The ED sleuths on Wednesday raided 16 locations in the state under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) targeting hawala operators and accommodation entry operators who allegedly made "fake" financial transactions into Rao's accounts. The Enforcement Directorate filed a PMLA case a few months ago after taking cognisance of a CBI and DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) complaint into a larger gold smuggling racket in India, including the case of Rao. ED sources claimed that 'an educational trust' is suspected to have 'diverted' funds and made a payment of Rs 40 lakh towards the credit card bill of Rao, allegedly on the instructions of an influential individual. Rao was arrested on March 3 at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after arriving from Dubai. Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials detained her and seized gold bars weighing 14.2 kg and valued at over Rs 12.56 crore. Rao and co-accused Tarun Kondaru Raju were granted bail on Tuesday by a special court for Economic Offences in Bengaluru in connection with the gold smuggling case. The court approved their default bail applications after the DRI failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated period. Rao, however, will continue to remain behind bars. Authorities have filed a separate case against her under the stringent Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA), a preventive detention law designed to tackle smuggling and preserve foreign exchange reserves. Under COFEPOSA, individuals can be held without trial for up to a year based on suspicion of involvement in such activities.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Traffic congestion worsens in Vijayawada despite ongoing measures
Vijayawada: Traffic congestion in Vijayawada city continues to cause severe inconvenience for residents and commuters, despite several measures initiated by the police administration to tackle the situation. With the renewed momentum of Amaravati capital works , traffic jams have worsened across the city, highlighting the urgent need for a more comprehensive traffic management strategy . Vijayawada, the second-largest city in Andhra Pradesh after Visakhapatnam, witnessed a steady rise in population and vehicular traffic since Amaravati was announced as the state capital in 2015. The situation is particularly challenging along national highway-16 (NH-16), which runs through the city, creating bottlenecks at major intersections such as Screw Bridge, Benz Circle, Mahanadu Junction, Ramavarappadu, and Enikepadu, especially during peak hours. To tackle the growing congestion, two flyovers were constructed at Benz Circle. However, they failed to offer a permanent solution. Currently, efforts are underway to build a five-kilometre flyover from Mahanadu Junction to Nidamanuru, alongside the development of four alternate routes towards Eluru Road to ease traffic flow during construction. Nevertheless, the return of NDA govt and the acceleration of Amaravati-related activities further strained the city's traffic, with even minor intersections in areas like AS Rama Rao Road, Mugalrajapuram, Patamata, and Bhavanipuram facing frequent jams. Faulty traffic signals and manual regulation using microphones by police personnel are compounding the problem. According to studies by the School of Planning and Architecture and Siddhartha Engineering College, the opening of the Vijayawada West Bypass Road could significantly reduce heavy vehicle movement into the city, thereby alleviating congestion. The town planning department of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation has also emphasised the need for better traffic junction development, noting that mere road widening has not been sufficient. City officials have announced plans to restore malfunctioning traffic signals, deploy drone-based traffic surveys, and construct railway overbridges at critical points where level crossings frequently cause delays. The Vijayawada city traffic police department is also preparing to enforce stricter measures to ensure smoother traffic flow and prevent road accidents.
