IMA scam: SIT issues notice to Roshan Baig

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the I Monetary Advisory (IMA) scam on Tuesday summoned Shivajinagar Congress MLA Roshan Baig for questioning.

Baig has been directed to appear for questioning at 11 am on Thursday. The SIT summons appeared to have some political overtones as it came hours after the Congress legislator — who was earlier suspended from the party — tendered his resignation as MLA.

A purported audio clip by Mohammed Mansoor Khan, CEO and MD of IMA Group, released after he fled the country, had pointed the finger at the MLA. “My final problem started when Shivajinagar MLA refused to return Rs 400 crore he had borrowed from me as he did not get ticket (for Lok Sabha poll),” it said.

Mansoor Khan went on to add that he and his family members were threatened by goons allegedly sent by Baig. Baig denied any wrongdoing and demanded a CBI probe into the case.

“He craftily dropped my name to divert attention from himself since he knew that playing dead would buy him time to plan out further mischief, the helpless victims will have no choice but to look for somebody to point fingers at,” he tweeted on June 14.

Baig will be the second politician to be questioned in connection with the scam after MLA and former minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan. Zameer was recently questioned by Enforcement Directorate officials in connection with the sale of a property at Richmond Town to Mansoor.

The notice to Baig comes a day after the sensational arrest of Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner B M Vijayashankar on charges of receiving bribes to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore from Mansoor Khan.