PRAMESH S JAIN
Highlights:
* Main accused in IMA Group scam claims threat to life, seeks CBI probe.
* Mohammed Mansoor Khan says he is willing to return to India and make public a list of names involved in the scandal that includes politicians.
* Khan accuses some people including former Union Minister and senior Congress leader K Rahman Khan, JD(S) MLC Sharavana, one terrorist and several people related to different business entities for his company’s downfall.
* Enforcement Directorate has registered ECIR against Mansoor Khan under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and has issued a summons to appear before them on 24th June 2019 at 11 am with documents .
* Blue Corner Notice BCN has been issued against Mansoor Khan by CBI Interpol.
* SIT has impounded fugitive IMA Chief Mansoor Khan Passport.
* Thirteen directors of IMA Jewels has been arrested by SIT.
* SECTION 9 OF THE KARNATAKA PROTECTION OF INTEREST DEPOSITORS IN FINANCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS ACT 2004, IN RESPECT OF PETITIONER. IN CRIMINAL SECTION 9 OF THE KARNATAKA PROTECTION OF INTEREST DEPOSITORS IN FINANCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS ACT 2004,Invoked by SIT.
IMA Mansoor’s Message to CP Alok Kumar and Investors :
Absconding Managing Director and CEO of I Monetary Advisory (IMA), Mohammed Mansoor Khan released a video on Sunday, offering to surrender before the police and co-operate with the investigation.He, however,said that he feared for his and his families life as the people behind the downfall of IMA would not spare him alive.
I Monetary Advisory (IMA) Jewels founder Mansoor Khan,who is accused of perpetrating financial fraud running into several crores of rupees,on Sunday released a video saying he wants to return to India, pay back the investors, and cooperate with authorities.
The 18-minute-long video was posted on the IMA Group’s YouTube channel.
IMA Jewels has allegedly cheated a large number of investors, mainly Muslims,after promising them impressive returns on their deposits.The firm allegedly has not paid interests on investments for the last three months.
Khan disappeared earlier this month after sending an audio clip to some investors threatening to commit suicide due to what he alleged was harassment by some politicians and rowdies. He is reportedly now in Dubai.
In the video, Khan said he had gone to the airport on June 14 to return to India but was off-boarded by authorities,who allegedly told him that he needed to stay where he was.It was a mistake to leave my land but I couldn’t stay there,he said without disclosing his current location.My own people had backstabbed me. Politicians who were close to me were a threat to my life.I had to hide my family. It was all done in a hurry.
Khan said he would like to return to India and told Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Alok Kumar that his number is the same as that in India.Seeking two to three days’ time, he also asked the cop whom he should meet to disclose the details.
I will come back and give all the details. I will place before you everything in black and white,” he said.
Khan said he has property worth Rs 1,350 crore,which will be liquidated to pay off the investors.
Khan also accused “99% of the people” of spreading fake news and claimed he never ran a Ponzi scheme as reported. He has earlier also accused former Congress MLA Roshan Baig of having taken Rs 400 crore and not paying it back.
He even said Who was behind the collapse of IMA? Central level corruption and state level corruption tried to bankrupt me and they were successful,” he claimed, adding that various methods were employed to harass IMA and extort money from the firm.When I come before the (police) department and judiciary, I will reveal all these names.I am sure that these people will not spare me alive,” he said.
Leaving the country was a mistake. But my own people within the management and some politicians close to me backstabbed and started harassing me.So, I was forced to hide my family. Whatever happened subsequently was in haste and was not planned,.
When I left (Bengaluru), there was 120 kg of gold jewellery and 600 kgs of bullion with IMA.But, I have learnt that some things were moved on Friday night and suspect some directors and my brothers to be behind this He accused Nizamuddin,one of the directors,his cousin and another director Mohammed Wasim, constructor Khalid Ahmed and his son Fahad Ahmed of removing the contents from IMA’s vaults for personal gain.Nabid Ahmed, who caused financial irregularities is also involved. I had suspected these people three months ago and was waiting for my bailout,he said.
He alleged that some bigwigs are behind his company’s collapse and demanded a CBI inquiry into the scam.
Khan alleged that some powerful people were behind his life that forced him to flee the country.I had earlier an audio clip. I had described the situations that forced me to flee in view of me and my families’ safety,” Khan said. Khan blamed some people including former Union Minister and senior Congress leader K Rahman Khan, J D(S) MLC Sharavana, one terrorist and several people related to different business entities for his company’s downfall.
“I would like to congratulate Ex-Rajya Sabha member K Rahman Khan, Mukhtyar Ahmed Tada who belongs to a terrorist group,JDS MLC Sharvana and all those who make settlements in the name of social service,he said.Khan said,My aides within the management and some politicians deceived me.This forced me to leave the country in a hurry. Nothing was planned.”
Khan said that IMA was not running a Ponzi scheme and was shut down due to some corruption at the state and the Central government level.
“I have a list of who extorted and harassed me,” he said, adding that he would disclose these details when he is produced before the department and judiciary.
He also expressed his fear over safety and claimed that he would be “ultimately killed.”
“I suspected some of my directors and my brothers. I have confirmed reports that my director Nizamuddin and cousin Wasim, Khalid Ahmed and Fahad Ahmed have stolen the jewellery from the vault,” he stated.
Bengaluru City police have offered to provide protection to absconding IMA chief Mohammed Mansoor Khan if he wished to return to the country to cooperate with the investigation.He is free to return to the country. We are ready to offer security if he fears for his life. Mansoor has requested Bengaluru city police commissioner for the same and he will take a call on the matter,” S Girish, DCP (Crime) and part of the Special investigation team.
The Karnataka government has formed an 11-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by DIG BR Ravikanthe Gowda to probe the alleged fraud.
Meanwhile the Special Investigation team probing the I Monetary Advisory Company Pvt. Ltd.has arrested five more directors identifed as,Shadab Ahmed (28), Israr Ahmed (32), Faizal Ahmed (30), Mohammed Idrees (30) and Usman Abrez (33) are the directors of the co-operative society who have been arrested.
Meanwhile, the Interpol (International Criminal Police Organisation) division of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) issued a blue corner notice against Mansoor on Saturday. A blue corner notice is issued to locate, identify or obtain information regarding a fugitive or an absconding accused person in a criminal investigation.
The SIT has also impounded Mansoor Khan’s passport, making it difficult for him to move from one country to another. “There is suspicion of whether he is in Dubai or in some other country. If we had confirmed that he was in Dubai, we could have tracked his movements easily and Interpol would have been requested to issue a red corner notice (extradition)
SIT will be probing the case invoking.SECTION 9 OF THE KARNATAKA PROTECTION OF INTEREST DEPOSITORS IN FINANCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS ACT 2004, IN RESPECT OF PETITIONER. IN CRIMINAL SECTION 9 OF THE KARNATAKA PROTECTION OF INTEREST DEPOSITORS IN FINANCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS ACT 2004,
On June 20, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued the first summon to Khan directing him to appear before the agency on June 24.
The next day, the SIT conducted a raid at IMA Jewels’ office in Shivajinagar and seized jewels worth Rs 20 crore.
The SIT had arrested the firm’s auditor Iqbal Khan and totally twelve directors of different entities linked to Khan.
Over 40,000 complaints have been filed against the company, demanding that their money be returned.
The development comes a day after the Interpol issued a blue corner notice to “locate, identify or obtain information” about him.
He disappeared earlier this month after sending an audio clip to some investors threatening to commit suicide due to what he alleged was “harassment” by some politicians and rowdies.
