An IAS officer, who was arrested in IMA scam for taking kickbacks while he was the deputy commissioner (DC) Urban Bengaluru, died by suicide at his residence on Tuesday evening. The deceased officer BM Vijay Shankar had spent few days in jail after being arrested by special investigation team (SIT) in the I Monetary Advice (IMA) case over his alleged involvement. He was released on bail.
Shankar ended his life by hanging himself when he was alone in his house in Jayanagar near Ashoka Pillar. Shankar was accused of taking Rs 1.5 crore bribe for his oversight in the IMA's financial irregularities and to give a clean chit to IMA founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan.
"We have taken up the case of unnatural death with regard to Vijay Shankar's death. Further probe will reveal more details about it," Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao, IPS, said in a statement.
According to reports, Shankar was under severe depression after his arrest. His death came to light at around 8 p.m. but the officer had taken his life by 7 p.m. Tilak Nagar police station has taken up the case of under CrPc and the probe is underway. No suicide note was discovered
IMA scam
IMA scam had duped over 40,000 investors from the Muslim community to the tune of crores in the name of halal investment. IMA's Mansoor Khan had named many top government officials and politicians for taking bribe from him, including former Shivajinagar legislator and disqualified Congress MLA R Roshan Baig. Mansoor Khan was arrested last July and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the case.
