Leaving country was a mistake; ready to surrender; will reveal big names: IMA MD Mansoor Khan

News Network
June 23, 2019

Bengaluru, Jun 23: In a sensational twist to the multi-crore IMA investment scam, the absconding MD of the company, Mohammad Mansoor Khan, has now offered to surrender and cooperate with the investigation. Mansoor on Sunday released an 18-minute video, which was posted on the IMA's YouTube group and claimed that leaving the country was a 'mistake' but added  that he was compelled to do so as people close to him had backstabbed him.

He even claimed that he had gone to the airport on June 14 to return to India, but was off-boarded by the authorities, who allegedly told him to meet immigration officials. He however, did not disclose his location. "I did go to the immigration department, but no officials were present as it was a Friday," he said.

“It was a mistake to flee my country but my own people within the management and those who were close to me backstabbed me. Politicians who were close to me became a threat to my life, which forced me to hide my family in India and leave the country. Everything happened in a hurry and nothing was planned," Mansoor said.

In the video he is seen with a trimmed beard and said he did this to prevent people from recognizing him. Mansoor  requested Bengaluru city police commissioner Alok Kumar to contact him on his Indian mobile number and share with him the details of people he should meet to cooperate with the investigation. "I have decided to come and appear before the investigating agency and explain everything to them," he said.

From its inception in 2006 till 2019, IMA has given Rs 12,000 crore in monthly returns to investors and nearly Rs 2,000 crore capital investment to them, Mansoor claimed adding that he has property worth Rs 1,350 crore, which will be liquidated to pay the investors.

The IMA MD asserted that "99 per cent of people" were spreading fake news on IMA and clarified the he was not running a Ponzi scheme, but a genuine business.

"I have made a list of people responsible for the collapse of IMA and details of those who intend to make me bankrupt. I also have the list of people who extorted money from me by threatening to harass me, which I'll disclose to the investigating agency," he said.

He claimed many powerful people are involved in the business. "If I name them now, they will hunt down my family members and kill them. They are powerful enough to track me and kill me as well," Mansoor said. Reiterating his charge that Shivajinagar MLA R. Roshan Baig has taken Rs 400 crore from him, Mansoor requested Alok Kumar to question him and said Baig cannot wash  his hands off saying there is no proof. He also requested for a CBI inquiry, as many powerful people are involved. Reacting to the video, the police said they have not yet ascertained its veracity.

The state government had formed an 11-member SIT, headed by DIG BR Ravikanthe Gowda, to probe the alleged fraud. Over 40,000 complaints have so far been filed against the company by investors, demanding refund of their investments.

IMA directors have stolen gold: Mansoor

I Monetary Advisory (IMA) Managing Director Mohammad Mansoor Khan, who is currently on the run, has now accused the board of directors of emptying gold from the vault in the jewellery showrooms run by the company. In a video he released on Sunday and posted on IMA's YouTube group, Mansoor said that he had received information that some directors had backstabbed him, by stealing gold and silver from the vault with the help of other staff.

"There were 120 kg of solid jewelley and 600 kg bullion gold in the vault and I have received information that most it has been moved from the vault by board of directors Nizammuddin Azeemuddin, Mohammad Wasim (Mansoor's cousin), Khalid Ahmad (Construction worker for IMA) his son Fahad Ahmad, along with the help of other staff," he said

Mansoor Khan further claimed that another board of director Naveed Ahmed was involved in financial fraud. Meanwhile, all the 12 board of directors including the one Mansoor accused of theft are in police custody and are being interrogated.

Mansoor Khan also alleged in the video that former Rajya Sabha Member K. Rahman Khan, Congress worker Mohammad Obaidullah Sharief, MLC Sarvananju, an Urdu newspaper editor Khaliq Ahmad, Mukhtar Ahmad, who was booked under TADA, Fairoze Abdullah of Fairoze Estate, Saif of Zaid Chit Funds, Mufti Iftikhar Ahmad Qasmi, Mufti Shamshuddin Bijli and Moulana Zainul Abideen, were involved in 'financial settlements' and have pocketed investors money.

The SIT probing the IMA scam has so far raided IMA Jewels' showroom at Jayanagar have seized 43 kg gold worth Rs 13 crore, 5,864 carat of diamond worth Rs 17.6 crore, 520 kg of silver worth Rs 1.5 crore and precious gems worth Rs 1.5 crore. The SIT found 1.5 kg of gold, 1.5 kg silver and Rs 2.69 lakh cash from Mansoor's third divorced wife Tabassum's house in Shivajinagar.

Similarly, the SIT seized 30 kg gold, 2600 carat diamond and 450 kg silver from IMAs Jewels showroom in Shivajinagar estimated value of which is around Rs 20 crore.

Did directors empty gold from vault?

Absconding IMA MD Mohammad Mansoor Khan has in the video released on Sunday, accused his company's board directors of emptying gold from the vault of his jewellery showrooms. He said he had received information about a few directors backstabbing him and stealing gold and silver with the help of other staff. "There was 120 kg of jewellery and 600 kg bullion gold in the vault and I have received information that most of it has been moved from the vault by board directors Nizammuddin Azeemuddin, Mohammad Wasim (Mansoor's cousin), Khalid Ahmad (construction worker for IMA), his son Fahad Ahmad, along with the help of staff," he said.  

He further claimed that another board director, Naveed Ahmed was also involved in the financial fraud. Meanwhile, all 12 board directors  are being interrogated.

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News Network
March 4,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 4: The Karnataka High Court has issued a notice to the state government in connection with the denial of retirement benefits to a retired deputy commissioner of commercial taxes who had fought against the illegal iron ore lobby.

Justice G Narendra also directed the state to respond to the notice before March 9, stating the reasons for withholding the officer’s retirement benefits.

Advocate Ramananda, appearing for the retired officer Josephat Andrews, explained that the single-judge bench also warned the government of stringent action.

Petitioner Josephat Andrews said his retirement benefits amounting to Rs 25.88 lakh were being withheld since 2014.

In 2009, Andrews detected a huge scam involving Vijaya Leasing, a company associated with former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy. Immediately he wrote to his higher officials explaining to them how the department was owed Rs 1,400 crore in taxes by the company. Immediately after that, Andrews was transferred to Bengaluru.

The media exposed the scam in 2012. Thereafter, to harass the officer, Andrews was served notice for allegedly not conducting an inspection of M/s Vijaya Leasing, which was controlled by the family of then tourism minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, on July 11, 2012.  He was discharged by a full departmental enquiry.

The petitioner was issued a second show cause notice on Jan 29, 2014 on the same charges. Before his retirement, he was docked two increments, denied promotional benefits and his pension was reduced without following due process.

He was served yet another notice with charges that he did not inspect goods vehicles, and an order was passed on April 30, 2019 reducing his pension by 5 per cent, an unprecedented punitive action.

This order was quashed by the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT), which also ordered payment of retirement benefits to Andrews within five months. However, the benefits were not released to him.  

“Rule 214 of the Karnataka Civil Services Rules (KCSR) make it clear that no enquiry can be held four years after an officer’s retirement.  Belying all statutory rules and precedents of the Supreme Court, Josephat Andrews’ retirement benefits were withheld for five years. Andrews therefore approached the High Court,” advocate Ramananda explained.

Josephat Andrews recalled to Deccan Chronicle that although mining activity was in full swing in 2008, the commercial tax department maintained that it had nothing to do with mining. “I travelled to Gujarat, Maharashtra and Bellary to investigate. I found tax evasion of thousands of crores. When I visited M/s the Vijaya Leasing facility – it was operating from an old oil mill premises–within 20 minutes I got calls from Ali, a person claiming to be the personal assistant of Gali Janardhan Reddy. He told me to get out of the premises as it belonged to his boss. Then calls came from minister Sreeramulu and MLA Nagendra. 

Within minutes 200-300 rowdies gathered around the building and my superior asked me to come back. Instead of filing a police complaint and forming a special team to deal with the situation, the department transferred me to Bengaluru,” he explained.

Talking about the High Court directive, Josephat Andrews said, “I have suffered a lot. Instead of getting a reward for increasing revenues by Rs 2,000 crore, I was punished.”

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News Network
March 24,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 24: Seven people were arrested on Tuesday for violating prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 of CrPC in Mangaluru during the lockdown in Karnataka, Commissioner of Police PS Harsha said.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday had announced a complete lockdown in the state till April 1.
"In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the entire state will be locked down from 12 am of March 23 to April 1. People are requested to strictly follow it to contain the coronavirus spread," he said.
Earlier, the state government had ordered the suspending of all public and private transport services.
According to the data compiled by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the total number of the infection-related death toll in the country rose to nine on Tuesday, while the total number of active cases reached 482.

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News Network
June 23,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 23: Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday demanded that Bengaluru should be put under lockdown for 20 days to contain the spread of coronavirus, the cases of which have risen sharply recently.

 “Stop playing with people's lives. There’s no use in sealing off only some areas. If the people of Bengaluru must live, then a lockdown of at least 20 days is needed. Otherwise, Bengaluru will become another Brazil,” Kumaraswamy said in a tweet. “People’s health is more important, not economy.”

The JD(S) leader was reacting to the BJP government's decision to impose an area-wide lockdown in Chickpet, KR Market, Kalasipalyam and Chamarajpet while streets will be sealed off in VV Puram, Siddapura, Yelahanka, Vidyaranyapura and Chickpet.

Bengaluru has witnessed a huge spike in its Covid-19 tally; the city currently has at least 919 active cases. This has sparked off fears that the contagion might have reached the community.

Kumaraswamy has also demanded welfare measures for the poor. “The poor and the labourers should be given ration immediately. The state’s 50 lakh working class should get ₹5,000 each. The aid already announced by the government hasn’t reached drivers, weavers, Madiwalas and other communities,” he said, adding that mere announcements of a package won’t be enough and “it has to be implemented.”

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