Investors throng jewellery store as owner 'disappears' in Bengaluru
Audio clip of owner goes viral
Bengaluru, Jun 10: Hundreds of investors thronged a prominent city jewellery store Monday after an audio clip surfaced where a person alleged to be the owner is heard saying he is going to commit suicide as he was fed up with corruption.
The owner was also into the chit fund business.
As soon the audio went viral, investors including a large number of women with their children started gathering at the IMAJewellers headquarters at Shivajinagar near here demanding action against Mohammed Mansur Khan, the owner.
The person is heard addressing police that he was committing suicide as he was fed up withcorruption in the state and central government.
In the audio, he is also heard accusing central and state officials of harassing him, compelling him to take the extreme step.
He also asks police to sell all his wealth and jewellery to pay investors and is heard accusing a politician of taking Rs 400 crore from him and not returning it.
Investors claimed they had invested crores in the firm.
Police have deployed adequate force around the jewellery shop to prevent any untoward incidents.
Deputy commissioner of police of Bengaluru East division Rahul Kumar Shahapurwad appealed to investors to lodge complaints with police with whatever proof they have.
He also made it clear that they have no information about Khan and asked people not to jump to any conclusion.
Police suspect that at least 26,000 investors from across Karnataka have been cheated.
Meanwhile, police have sounded alert at airport, bus-standand railway station to track the jeweller.
Police and investors said his mobile phone has been switched off and he is not traceable.
".... He has switched off his mobile phone and he is untraceable," commercial street police inspector B K Shekhar said.
Gultaz Banu, an investor, claimed she had invested about Rs nine lakh in the company.
"Since he was paying very high returns we relied on him. I sold all my jewellery to deposit in his company. Today I am left with nothing," Banu said.
Most of those who invested in the company belong to the minority community, working as auto rickshaw drivers, beedi manufacturers, carpenters and street vendors, police said.
Two years ago, the income tax department had conducted searches at the IMA business establishments.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
