The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case against Bengaluru-based I-Monetory Advisory (IMA) and its MD Mansoor Khan, as well as against its group entities, for allegedly duping over a lakh gullible investors through a multi-crore ponzi scheme, CBI officials said on Monday.
The CBI action comes almost 10 days after the Karnataka government permitted the probe
by the Central agency.
According to CBI officials here, the case against IMA, Khan and several other private persons were registered on August 30 after the agency got the go-ahead from the Central government on the request of the Karnataka government.
The agency has registered a criminal case on the charges of the criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.
The agency will be probing the various alleged illegal activities of IMA and its entities.
A case was first registered against Khan and his IMA at the Commercial Street Police Station in Bengaluru on the written complaint of Khalid Ahmed for alleged duping him and his family members to the tune of Rs 1.34 crore. He also accused Khan of owing him of Rs 3.5 crore on account of construction undertaken by his company for the IMA.
According to Karnataka Police, 15 more FIRs were filed against Khan and his group for duping investors. Following the many complaints, the case was transferred to a Karnataka Police Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The scam came to light when Khan fled to Dubai, leaving behind a video message in which he said that he was committing suicide because of "corruption in the state and central governments".
Subsequently, soon after his arrival from Dubai, Khan was arrested here on July 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and is currently in judicial custody in Karnataka.
Before fleeing the country, Khan had accused R. Roshan Baig, the MLA from Bengaluru's Shivajinagar, of not returning Rs 400 crore that the latter had borrowed from him. Baig has been disqualified from the Assembly for anti-party activities on a request by the Congress party.
