ED gets IMA chief’s custody for three more days
Bengaluru: A lower court on Tuesday remanded IMA founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) until July 26 for investigation over the multi-crore investment scam.
Khan was already in the ED’s custody but the national agency could not question him much as he complained of chest pain on Sunday night and was kept in the Victoria Hospital for observation. On Tuesday, he was directly brought from the hospital to the court. Doctors conducted tests on him and ruled out any cardiac emergency.
Representing the ED before the principal sessions judge Shivashankar B Amarannavar, Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj said the agency could not record Khan’s statement because of his poor health and sought his custody until July 30.
But M Narayana Reddy, the defence counsel, argued that if Khan’s custody was not entrusted to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), it would be tantamount to a violation of the fundamental rights of other suspects who were already arrested in the case. The SIT was appointed by the state police to investigate the scam. Hearing both the parties, the judge remanded Khan in the ED’s custody for three more days.
Khan had fled to Dubai on June 8, two days before his so-called Halal investment company wound up. He flew back to India on July 19.