The CCB sleuths arrested former journalist Ashoka Mysore on Sunday for deterring them from discharging their duty in connection with the Ambidant fraud case.
S Girish, DCP (Crime-1) said Ashoka was arrested and produced before the magistrate and remanded to CCB custody for two days for further questioning in the case. He was booked under IPC sections 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
A senior police officer said Ashoka was working in a private Kannada news channel and had recently left his job. Later, he joined Vijay Tata, a bangalore-based realtor. He joined hands with Zaid Khan and Sirajuddin — associates of Vijay Tata — and gave external support to them to hold a press conference against the CCB. He supported the allegation that the CCB officials are in a ‘unholy nexus’ with the Ambidant owners, in order to portray the CCB in poor light.
As per the plan, On December 12, Khan and Sirajuddin held a press conference and alleged that the Ambidant owner, Fareed and Addititonal Commissioner (Crime), Alok Kumar, who is heading the investigation into the fraud case, were hand in glove. This is the reason that Ambidant’s Fareed was not targeted and there is no transparency in the case, they said in the press conference. If the CCB continued with the probe, there is no way that the investors would get their money back, they alleged.
After the press conference, the officials had registered a complaint against the duo at the Vidhana Soudha police station stating that they had made baseless allegations to tarnish the image of the institution. Later, Khan and Sirajuddin were arrested and the CCB had conducted a raid on Vijay Tata’s residence and office.
During interrogation, Girish said Khan and Sirajuddin confessed that Vijay Tata told them to hold a press conference and make allegations against the CCB. Ashoka, meanwhile, helped them prepare for the press meet raising the allegations, and so he was arrested too, the officer said.
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