Amid 'Kariya' row, Karnataka Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan gets Lokayukta notice in disproportionate assets case

In 2021, the ED searched premises belonging to Khan in connection with the case after the IMA Ponzi scam came to the fore. It was alleged that Khan was found possessing assets that were 2,031% in excess over the known sources of his income.

Bengaluru: In fresh trouble for Karnataka Housing, Wakf and Minority Welfare Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, the Lokayukta police on Saturday served a notice to the Congress leader over a disproportionate assets case.

A top source in the Lokayukta police confirmed to DH that the notice was served on Saturday and the senior Congress leader was directed to appear on December 3.

“It is routine notice as part of the ongoing investigation. We need to record his statements in some aspects of the case,” the source said without elaborating further.

In 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched premises belonging to Khan in connection with the case after the IMA Ponzi scam came to the fore. It was alleged that Khan was found possessing assets that were 2,031 per cent in excess over the known sources of his income.

The ED had said that it found a certain transaction between Khan and Mansoor Ali Khan, the promoter of the IMA group, to the tune of Rs 9.38 crore via cheque.

“In his statement, the IMA promoter had told the ED that he had given Rs 29.38 crore cash and another Rs 25 crore to Khan, which wasn’t returned,” a well-placed source said.

A report by the ED was submitted to the now-defunct Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which registered a case in 2022. The case was then transferred to the Karnataka Lokayukta after the ACB was abolished. In November 2023, the Karnataka High Court rejected a petition by Khan in connection with the case.