IMA jewels scam: BJP wants CBI probe

State Minorities Commission former chairman and BJP state committee spokesperson Anwar Manippady has demanded a CBI inquiry into the IMA jewels scam.

Minority Welfare and Wakf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan should step down immediately following allegations on him being involved in the scam, he said.

Speaking to media at the district BJP office in Mangaluru on Thursday, he alleged that State Minority Welfare and Wakf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan is hand in glove with the owner of the fraudulent company I Monetary Advisory (IMA), Mohammed Mansoor Khan, who has swindled money to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore belonging to minority community members. Mansoor had also looted deposits from masjids in the name of minority welfare. He is also accused of funding the terror organisation ISIS.

He said that the accused was backed by the state government itself.

“I had mentioned about the fraudulent means of income of Mansoor earlier. Also, the Reserve Bank of India had sent a report to the state government in this regard. But the state government deliberately kept quiet and did nothing about it as ministers like Zameer Ahmed Khan and Roshan Baig were involved. There are photographs of Muhammed Mansoor Khan attending various functions and standing beside Zameer Ahmed Khan. The chief minister is also seen in several of these photographs,” said Anwar Manippady.

Anwar further said that the minority welfare minister himself has gone on record admitting receiving Rs 9 crore money from Mansoor Khan. Initially, the minister said it was a donation. Later he said that it was a loan. The changing versions by the minister create doubts.

Anwar Manippady meanwhile said that based on his report, the BJP led state government had issued a Gazette notification on May 10, 2013, forming an act to reclaim the encroached properties of Wakf department.

But the act was not implemented by the state governments which came to power later, he pointed out and urged the state government to reclaim all of the Wakf property in the state. The land rightfully belongs to the minority.

BJP leaders Bhaskarachandra and Ramachandra Baikampady were present.