Unaware of crisis at firm; directors of IMA Jewellers
“MD asked us to go on Ramadan leave”
Bengaluru, Jun 13: Seven directors of city based IMA Jewellers, at the centre of an alleged financial fraud that left thousands in the lurch, indicated to police Thursday that they were unaware of the crisis and that the owner had asked them to take long leave for Ramzan.
They said Mohammed Mansoor Khan had convened a meeting with them a few days prior to his disappearance and discussed investments in various locations, police said
Before the unsuspecting employees and its sister companies could return to work, they got news of Khan's 'disappearance' and thousands of panic stricken people rushing to the IMA office at Shivajinagar here, demanding action against the owner and directors.
The directors were apprehended yesterday from different locations in the city.
Meanwhile police said they found a white colour SUV, reportedly belonging to Khan, near a home of one of the directors, which had been parked there for quite some time.
Acting on a complaint from residents, police took custody of the car, which bore a Puducherry registration number.
As complaints swelled to about 26,000 on the third day of the news breaking out, poignant stories surfaced from the victims of the ponzi scheme fraud.
Investors told PTI that the Ulemas and Moulavis of some mosques vouched for IMA Jewellers, saying their money would be safe and the investment was as per the Islamic guidelines.
Tears rolling down his eyes, Mohammad Nasir from Bengaluru told PTI that an Ulema from a mosque in his area insisted that he deposit money in the firm.
"I trusted him and deposited Rs 20 lakh in it... Today Mansoor has disappeared. I have two daughters to take care of.
I have the liability of their education and marriage. I dont know how I am going to meet their requirements," said Nasir.
Umiya Bi from Chittur in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh said she had invested close to Rs 10 lakh in the company.
The Karnataka government had yesterday announced the setting up of the 11-member SIT, days after Mohammed Mansoor Khan went absconding after allegedly threatening to commit suicide in an audio clip.
In the audio clip, which went viral on the social media, Khan purportedly said he was committing suicide as he was fed up with corruption.
He had also alleged the Shivajinagar Congress MLA Roshan Baig took Rs 400 crore from him and was not returning it.
Baig had however rubbished the charge, alleging that his political adversaries had orchestrated the "series of events" to tarnish his character.
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Accused gunman at correspondents' dinner was believed to be targeting top officials, Blanche says
Washington (AP): The accused gunman who tried to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives travelled across the country before the event and is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday.
Blanche also said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where in recent days he checked in as a guest to the hotel where one of Washington's glitziest events was being held Saturday night.
Investigators have not publicly named the suspect, but two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter have identified him to The Associated Press as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
Law enforcement officials who have examined the gunman's electronic devices and his writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner. He attempted to charge into the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a chaotic scene that resulted in shots being fired, President Donald Trump being hurried off the stage and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC's “Meet the Press.”
The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was taken into custody and was not injured, but was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.
“He failed,” Blanche said on CBS's “Face the Nation.” “Law enforcement did their jobs.”
Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.
A May 2025 profile photo of Allen appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday night by Trump. The photo, posted to the social networking site LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Allen earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.
The shooting at the security barricades happened minutes after the event got underway.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening. Hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
After an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.
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