Bengaluru, Feb 10 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) began simultaneous raids on 13 locations, including the residences and offices of Karnataka Congress MLA, Nara Bharat Reddy, in Bellary and Bengaluru on Saturday.

Sources said the simultaneous raids were also taking place on the houses and offices of his father Surya Narayana Reddy, paternal uncle Pratap Reddy, and relative Satish Reddy.

Four special teams comprising a total of 20 ED officers reached Bellary early in the morning to conduct the raids.

The operations are being carried out under the protection of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Details on the raids in Bengaluru are yet to emerge.

Sources also stated that the raids were being conducted based on allegations of illegal money transactions in the business establishments owned by the family of the Congress legislator.

However, an official statement from the ED regarding these allegations is yet to be released.

Nara Bharat Reddy represents the Bellary city constituency and had declared assets and properties amounting to Rs 91.18 crore.

In the Assembly elections, Bharat Reddy defeated mining baron-turned-politician Gali Janardhana Reddy’s wife, Gali Lakshmi Aruna.