IMA Ponzi Scam accused Mansoor Khan arrested, being questioned by ED
Mansoor Khan, the prime accused in the multi-crore IMA Ponzi scam, was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths at New Delhi in the early hours of Friday (July 19), soon after he returned to India from Dubai. He is currently being questioned by ED, said a special investigation team which is probing the scam.
Earlier, an SIT team had located the whereabouts of Khan and persuaded him to come back to India and handover himself to the law, SIT sources said.
“Accordingly he travelled from Dubai to New Delhi (Flight AI 916) and landed at 01550 hours IST. SIT officers are in Delhi to secure and arrest the accused,” a statement by SIT said.
A lookout circular was issued against Khan by both the SIT and the ED and he would be handed over according to procedure, the SIT said.
Sources said that Khan is currently being quizzed by ED officials in New Delhi and will later be sent to Bengaluru for a detailed probe by the SIT.
In a video that went viral on July 15, Khan had said that he will return to India within 24 hours. “I have trust in the judiciary of India. My biggest mistake was leaving the country but circumstances forced me to do so,” a glum-looking Khan had said in the video. In a previous video released on June 23, he had said that he was facing health problems and will return to Bengaluru as he wasn’t able to afford the healthcare costs in Dubai. He had said that the real culprits behind the name were of those in state and central levels.
More than one lakh people had invested in the IMA Jewels which started 17 companies. Khan invited people, mostly Muslims, to invest in five companies, said the SIT, adding that ₹4,084 crore was invested in the company. He has to refund approximately ₹1,400 crore to his investors, the SIT said. Around one and half months ago, Khan had fled to Dubai leaving thousands of investors in lurch. Khan had promised his investors that he would return to India and would refund their money. Based on thousands of complaints, the SIT registered a case against him and others. It has so far arrested 22 people, including Khan, 12 directors of the firm, deputy commissioner of Bengaluru urban district Vijay Shankar, assistant commissioner L C Nagaraj, a Bangalore Development Authority officer, a nominated corporator of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and a village accountant.
Before fleeing he had accused Shivajinagar Congress MLA R Roshan Baig of taking ₹400 crore and not returning it. Baig categorically refuted the charge, terming it false and frivolous. The MLA who had rebelled against the party was suspended for anti-party activities. Baig then joined the bandwagon of rebel MLAs who resigned. The SIT had served him a notice to depose before it on July 15, but he sought time till July 26. The SIT then asked him to be present before it on July 19. The day Baig was supposed to appear before SIT, he planned to fly to Mumbai by a special chartered plane but the SIT detained him and quizzed him extensively. The SIT released Baig and asked him to appear on July 19.
