Just hours ahead of Karnataka state assembly is set to witness a major political decision on Kumaraswamy government, tightening its noose around criminals, especially the absconders, the Government of India has added another feather to its fold by arresting I Monetary Advisory (IMA) Group founder in the national capital on Friday.
Mohammed Mansoor Khan, accused of duping people of over Rs. 2,500 crore, had left the country for foreign havens after his fraud company wound up its operations last month. Just as he returned to India on Friday, the absconding criiminal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the early hours at Delhi airport. He was returning from Dubai.
According to Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Karnataka which is also probing the IMA case stated that it had located Khan in Dubai with the help of its sources and woed him to return to India and surrender himself.
According to a top probe official, Khan travelled from Dubai to New Delhi and landed at 01.50 hours. A team of SIT officers was in Delhi to secure and arrest the accused.
According to the police, it will take some time before Khan is brought to Bengaluru for detail questioning.
It maybe noted that Khan is accused of duping over 45,000 investors. He was absconding and avoiding arrest since June 7. It was on Monday that he released a video declaring his return to India in 24 hours.
Describing his decision to leave the country “a big mistake,” the accused said he seeks to surrender and join the investigation process. Khan also cited medical illness as one of the reasons to return to India.
It may be noted that Interpol had issued a Blue Corner notice for Khan’s look out.
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The arrest holds significance as it has come at a time when the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress government in Karnataka is on the brink of a collapse.
I Monetary Advisory (IMA) Group founder is said to have had links with political leaders in both the Congress and the JD(S).
Meanwhile, in Karnataka the political stalemate continues and a major development is likely by later afternoon in the backdrop of Karnataka Governor VajubhaiVala on Thursday asking Chief Minister H D Kumarswamy to hold floor test by 1.30 pm on Friday.
Though the Raj Bhawan had issued a letter to assembly speaker where the Governor had directed the State Assembly Speaker to conduct floor test by 1.30 pm on Friday but somewhoe the Kumaraswamy government delayed the deadline and pushed it to another day.
The Governor has reiterated his direcive and telling the Chief Minister since the rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs had met him recently officialy, Kumaraswamy has effective lost confidence of the House and thus needs to undergo the Floor Test to prove his majority.
The situation has reached such a level in the wake of a total of 10 rebel MLAs approaching the apex court on 10 July alleging the Karnataka Assembly Speaker was deliberately not accepting their resignations
The rebel Congress-JDS MLAs who are camping in Mumbai have said they won’t step back on their resignations or attend the session.
It maybe noted that a total of 16 MLAs – 13 from the Congress and three from JD(S) – have resigned. Two independent legislators R Shankar and H Nagesh have withdrawn their support to the coalition government already.In the 225-member Karnataka assembly, the ruling combine has a strength of 117. In case the resignations of the 16 leaders are accepted, the ruling coalition’s tally will plummet to 101, reducing the Kumaraswamy government to a minority.
While the opposition camp of the BJP has 107 MLAs including two independents who have supported the party recently.
