IMA ponzi scam: CBI registers case against 3 govt officials in Bengaluru for taking bribe

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Bengaluru, on Saturday registered one more case against accused BM Vijay Shankar, former Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru Urban, and two other government officials for accepting "illegal gratification" from the I Monetary Advisory (IMA).

The CBI registered a case against Shankar along with LC Nagaraj, former Sub-Division Officer, Bengaluru North Division, and Manjunath, Village Accountant, officiating at Sub-Division Office, Bengaluru North Division.

This is the third FIR registered by the CBI in connection with the IMA scam. Further investigation is underway.

According to CBI's official statement, the main allegation in the matter is that Shankar and Nagaraj had allegedly accepted bribe from the Directors of IMA Group of Companies through Manjunath who acted as a mediator for the transaction.

The bribe was allegedly demanded and accepted by the two public servants for forwarding a favourable report to the government in an inquiry into the illegal activities of IMA Group of Companies which was under their consideration.

It was further alleged that the "illegal gratification" of approximately Rs 1.5 crore was demanded by Shankar which was delivered to a real estate concern through Manjunath and a director of IMA company.

Further, Nagaraj allegedly obtained a bribe of approximately Rs 4 crore. Manjunath, who acted as a mediator for these transactions purportedly accepted approximately Rs 8 lakh from the directors of IMA company.

The development came after the CBI on Friday conducted searches at 15 locations in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh in connection with the IMA Ponzi scam.

In Karnataka, the raids were conducted in 11 locations in Bengaluru, 1 in Mandya district, 1 in Ramanagara and 1 in Belgaum. In Uttar Pradesh, raids were conducted in Meerut.

In August, the Karnataka government had transferred the multi-crore scam case to the CBI, in which several politicians and senior government officials are accused.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief S Girish had said that the case was being transferred to the CBI because the investigation had to be carried out in different states.

An SIT was investigating the multi-crore IMA Jewels case, where the firm had allegedly cheated a large number of investors after promising them impressive returns on their deposits.

The SIT has already arrested several government officials and questioned others including politicians in the matter.

The prime accused and Managing Director of IMA Mohammed Mansoor Khan, who had fled the country after several complaints were registered against him in connection with the scam, has also been arrested.

The state government had constituted an SIT to probe the scam when it first came to light in June earlier this year when more than 4,000 investors trooped outside the showroom after an audio clip purportedly recorded by Khan went viral.