D K Shivakumar surprised as Zameer Ahmed Khan claims ED raid was about assets

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar on Friday expressed surprise over Chamarajpet MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan’s statement that the ED raids he faced were in connection with his personal assets and not the multi-crore IMA scam.

ED officials on Thursday raided the houses and offices of Khan, a former minister, in Bengaluru. Khan later said the raids had nothing to do with the IMA scam. He said the ED came following complaints against his bungalow-like house.

“Our MLA (Khan) has said that the raids were connected with his personal assets and that they had nothing to do with the IMA scam. It’s surprising to me that the ED would conduct a raid in connection with assets,” Shivakumar said. “The Income Tax (IT) department should do it. If the IT department finds money laundering, then the ED comes in. I’m saying this based on the little experience I have,” he said.

Citing his own example, Shivakumar said he was first raided by the CBI, followed by IT and then ED. “So, there’s a procedure involved. Let’s see...once Zameer gets free, I’ll find out from him,” he said.

Read | 'ED raids on Zameer's properties politically motivated'

Shivakumar also pointed out that Khan had made a statement in the Legislative Assembly on the IMA scam, in which thousands of depositors lost money. “Khan said in the Assembly that the poor who were cheated in the scam should get their money back. This is the stand of our party also,” he said.

Khan is loyal to Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah. Recently, Khan’s projection of Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister did not go down well with Shivakumar.

In Mysuru, BJP minister S T Somashekhar wondered if Shivakumar had anything to do with the ED raids on Khan. “Maybe Shivakumar couldn’t digest Khan projecting Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister. So, why can’t it be that Shivakumar had a hand in the raids on Khan,” he asked.

Shivakumar laughed off Somashekhar’s statement. “I’m so happy. My old friend Somashekhar believes that ED is under my control.”