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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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
