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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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
