IMA scam: Karnataka government may set up special courts

The state government is considering setting up special courts to hear cases pertaining to the I Monetary Advisory (IMA) multi-crore scam in which more than 34,000 people were cheated.

Although detailed discussions at the government level followed by a Cabinet decision are awaited, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy told the Legislative Council that extra courts might be required owing to mounting evidence related to the scam.

“The government is considering whether to set up two or three courts (owing to the number of cases),” Madhuswamy said at the Legislative Council on Monday. “Moreover, there is a huge amount of evidence related to the case that is being submitted,” he added.

The new courts are expected to speed up the prosecution of those accused in the case, which is currently being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

According to sources, three MLAs had demanded that the state government set up special courts to ensure speedy trial. Though the state was empowered to set up courts, a Cabinet decision was required for the purpose. The IMA scam came to light in June 2019, days after founder of the company Mansoor Khan fled the country. Several residents of Bengaluru from various parts of the city had staged a protest, demanding that the government step in and ensure that their money is returned.

The government had set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the case, which nabbed Mansoor from Dubai and brought him to Bengaluru. Names of several senior IAS and IPS officials and politicians had cropped up during the probe.

The case was handed over to the CBI soon after the BJP assumed power in the state. The central agency filed an FIR in February this year and named two IPS officers and four directors of the company in its FIR.