IMA scam: Three cops suspended in Karnataka after CBI charge sheet

Karnataka govt yet to take action on the two chargesheeted IPS officers

The Karnataka government on Monday placed three police officers under suspension after the CBI presented a charge sheet against them in the multi-crore I Monetary Advisory (IMA) ponzi scam.

The suspended officers are E B Sridhara, Deputy Superintendent, CID, inspector M Ramesh and sub-inspector P Gowrishankar.

The government is yet to decide on the two IPS officials — Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration) Hemanth Nimbalkar and Commandant of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) Ajay Hilori — whose names are also mentioned in the charge sheet along with the three suspended policemen.

CBI officials said the suspended officers and other accused persons helped IMA managing director Mohammed Mansoor by submitting a report in his favour in 2018. The state chief secretary had asked the officials concerned to file a report on the IMA scam based on the RBI’s directions.

Sridhara was the then Deputy Superintendent of Police, CID, Economic Offences' Division, while Ramesh was an inspector at the Commercial Street police station, where Gowrishankar was sub-inspector.

Nimbalkar was IGP of CID-EOD and Hilori was the then DCP (East).

Ramesh and Gowrishankar were earlier transferred following the allegations against them.

The CBI had filed a supplementary charge sheet against 28 officers on Saturday at the CBI special court.

IPS officers spared?

The lower-rung officials at the police department are unhappy as the government has only suspended low-level officials and spared the IPS officers.

Sources in the Home Department, however, said the government has recommended to the Centre to suspend the two IPS officers.

Thousands of investors in the state have been duped to the tune of around Rs 4,000 crore in the scheme.