CBI files supplementary charge sheet in IMA case

The CBI has filed a supplementary charge sheet in a Bangalore court against two accused in ponzi scam pertaining to I-Monetary Advisory (IMA), which allegedly duped lakhs of people, especially Muslims, promising higher returns on their investments using Islamic methods, officials said.

The agency filed the charge sheet recently before a special court against Mohammed Haneef Apsar Ajeeji and Khaleemullah Jamal for allegedly luring people to invest in IMA schemes promoted by Mansoor Khan, presently under custody, they said.

"We have filed a second charge sheet in the IMA case," CBI Spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said here.

The CBI has charged them under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating, among others, the officials said.

It is the second charge sheet filed by the agency in the case, they said.

The CBI alleged that Haneef, a preacher at Shivaji Nagar madrassa, and Jamal, an Urdu teacher in Molur village in Kolar district, propagated IMA schemes among their followers, the officials said.

During investigation, it surfaced that Haneef received lakhs in remuneration from the IMA, which he had invested in a property attached by a "competent authority" under the Karnataka Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments (KPID) Act, 2004, they said.

The CBI alleged that Jamal was also receiving payments from the IMA. He had built a bunker in his farmhouse in which he kept jewellery and cash belonging to the Ponzi company, they said.

The bunker was under round-the-clock security of private bouncers who were allegedly paid by the IMA, the agency claimed.

The scam had triggered ripples in the Karnataka political circle when Khan, the then managing director of I-Monetary Advisory (IMA) jewels, escaped the country leaving behind a video message that he was committing suicide because of "corruption in the state and central governments".

He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on his return to Delhi on July 19.

The CBI had taken over the investigation on August 30 night on the request of the Karanataka government, routed through the Centre, the officials said.

In its first charge sheet, the agency had named Khan, and 19 other accused -- seven company directors, five members, an auditor, a private person and five private group companies -- for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating among additional charges under the IPC.