Mansoor Ellidiyappa? ‘My Own People Cheated Me, I Will Reveal The Truth’ says Khan, CEO of IMA
Mangaluru : While cricket fans were glued to their seats on a lazy Sunday watching a thrilling match between Pakistan and South Africa, a few were switching the TV Channels listening to the 18-minute video message delivered by the absconding CEO and MD of I Monetary Advisory (IMA), where he is blaming his own people, including family members and relatives, and also a bunch of politicians, who had back stabbed him, and put him into this situation. In a sensational twist to the multi-crore IMA investment scam, the absconding MD of the company, Mohammad Mansoor Khan, has now offered to surrender and cooperate with the investigation. Mansoor on Sunday released an 18-minute video, which was posted on the IMA’s YouTube group and claimed that leaving the country was a ‘mistake’ but added that he was compelled to do so as people close to him had back stabbed him.
He even claimed that he had gone to the airport on June 14 to return to India, but was off-boarded by the authorities, who allegedly told him to meet immigration officials. He, however, did not disclose his location. “I did go to the immigration department, but no officials were present as it was a Friday,” he said. “It was a mistake to flee my country but my own people within the management and those who were close to me back stabbed me. Politicians who were close to me became a threat to my life, which forced me to hide my family in India and leave the country. Everything happened in a hurry and nothing was planned,” Mansoor said.
In the video, he is seen with a trimmed beard and said he did this to prevent people from recognizing him. Mansoor requested Bengaluru city police commissioner Alok Kumar to contact him on his Indian mobile number and share with him the details of people he should meet to cooperate with the investigation. “I have decided to come and appear before the investigating agency and explain everything to them,” he said. From its inception in 2006 till 2019, IMA has given Rs 12,000 crore in monthly returns to investors and nearly Rs 2,000 crore capital investment to them, Mansoor claimed that he has property worth Rs 1,350 crore, which will be liquidated to pay the investors.
The IMA MD asserted that “99 percent of people” were spreading fake news on IMA and clarified that he was not running a Ponzi scheme, but a genuine business. “I have made a list of people responsible for the collapse of IMA and details of those who intend to make me bankrupt. I also have the list of people who extorted money from me by threatening to harass me, which I’ll disclose to the investigating agency,” he said.
He claimed many powerful people are involved in the business. “If I name them now, they will hunt down my family members and kill them. They are powerful enough to track me and kill me as well,” Mansoor said. Reiterating his charge that Shivajinagar MLA R. Roshan Baig has taken Rs 400 crore from him, Mansoor requested Alok Kumar to question him and said Baig cannot wash his hands off saying there is no proof. He also requested for a CBI inquiry, as many powerful people are involved. Reacting to the video, the police said they have not yet ascertained its veracity.
The state government had formed an 11-member SIT, headed by DIG BR Ravikanthe Gowda, to probe the alleged fraud. Over 40,000 complaints have so far been filed against the company by investors, demanding a refund of their investments.
IMA Directors Have Stolen Gold: Mansoor
I Monetary Advisory (IMA) Managing Director Mohammad Mansoor Khan, who is currently on the run, has now accused the board of directors of emptying gold from the vault in the jewelry showrooms run by the company. In a video he released on Sunday and posted on IMA’s YouTube group, Mansoor said that he had received information that some directors had back stabbed him, by stealing gold and silver from the vault with the help of other staff.
“There were 120 kg of solid jewelley and 600 kg bullion gold in the vault and I have received information that most it has been moved from the vault by board of directors Nizammuddin Azeemuddin, Mohammad Wasim (Mansoor’s cousin), Khalid Ahmad (Construction worker for IMA) his son Fahad Ahmad, along with the help of other staff,” he said
The SIT probing the IMA scam has so far raided IMA Jewels’ showroom at Jayanagar have seized 43 kg gold worth Rs 13 crore, 5,864 carats of diamond worth Rs 17.6 crore, 520 kg of silver worth Rs 1.5 crore and precious gems worth Rs 1.5 crore. The SIT found 1.5 kg of gold, 1.5 kg silver and Rs 2.69 lakh cash from Mansoor’s third divorced wife Tabassum’s house in Shivajinagar. Similarly, the SIT seized 30 kg gold, 2600 carat diamond and 450 kg silver from IMAs Jewels showroom in Shivajinagar estimated value of which is around Rs 20 crore.
The IMA Jewels fraud has got a political touch with parties having a free-for-all on Twitter. Even as thousands of investors filed complaints against founder Mansoor Khan, BJP posted a photo of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy sharing a meal with the accused. “& when ‘I eat, you too eat’ is a way of life in @JanataDal_S, frauds like Mohammed Mansoor Khan tend to eat, loot & scoot. Btw @hd_kumaraswamy’s biryani day with frauds speaks a lot about acceptance. Must be tough acknowledging it. Isn’t it”, tweeted BJP, posting a photo of the CM with the accused. The tweet was shared 300 times and liked by 1,000.
Did directors empty gold from the vault?
Absconding IMA MD Mohammad Mansoor Khan has in the video released on Sunday, accused his company’s board directors of emptying gold from the vault of his jewelry showrooms. He said he had received information about a few directors backstabbing him and stealing gold and silver with the help of other staff. “There was 120 kg of jewelry and 600 kg bullion gold in the vault and I have received information that most of it has been moved from the vault by board directors Nizammuddin Azeemuddin, Mohammad Wasim (Mansoor’s cousin), Khalid Ahmad (construction worker for IMA), his son Fahad Ahmad, along with the help of staff,” he said. He further claimed that another board director, Naveed Ahmed was also involved in financial fraud. Meanwhile, all 12 board directors are being interrogated.
Inputs from The Deccan Chronicle