As the political crisis in Karnataka entered its third day on Monday, fissures in the Congress-JD(S) alliance seem to deepen as any sort of resolution at this point of time appears a distant goal for both the parties.
After reports of 21 Congress MLAs ‘voluntarily’ resigning from the cabinet in this morning, speculations are rife that Congress legislator from Khanapur in Belagavi Anjali Nimbalkar is also expected to join the ranks of rebel Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance. The resignations of these MLAs have sent the alliance government on the brink of collapse. She is likely to tender her resignation by tomorrow morning.
Nimbalkar asserted she is unhappy with Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy who has paid no heed to her repeated demands for additional funds for developmental work in her constituency and has therefore decided to resign.
It is worthy to note here that Nimbalkar is the wife of Karnataka IPS officer Hemant Nimbalkar who probed the IMA Ponzi scam. Hemant had given the absconding ‘halal’ investment group owner, Mansoor Khan, a clean chit in the multi-crore Ponzi scheme, allegedly duping 40,000 investors.
The Karnataka top cop had allegedly downplayed the IMA scam in the probe. Earlier, a special investigation team (SIT) probing the Ponzi scheme had arrested Assistant Commissioner of Bengaluru North division LC Nagaraj for his alleged involvement in the case.
Nagaraj allegedly received a bribe of Rs 4.5 crore to give a favourable report for IMA, which was flagged by the RBI.
The news of resignation by Karnataka IPS officer’ wife, somehow reestablishes the IMA link to the Karnataka political crisis.
Meanwhile, Congress had earlier suspended its senior leader and MLA Roshan Baig after he was accused by the IMA founder of taking Rs 400 crore from the latter and not returning. Earlier Mansoor Khan had released an audio clip in, which he had accused Baig of arm twisting and refusing to return Rs 400 crore.
Baig, an eight-time MLA was suspended by the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) for failing to respond to a show cause notice by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) after he blamed the state leadership for a poor show in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections.
Moreover, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) tightened its noose on the IMA Ponzi scheme, more and more skeletons started tumbling out of the closet. Another Congress’ Karnataka minister, BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan was summoned by ED for questioning in the case.
According to agency officials, the minister was summoned in connection with selling his property at Richmond Town to IMA owner Mohammed Mansoor Khan, who has reportedly absconded to Dubai since a police crackdown began in the multi-crore Ponzi scam.
The ED is also in the process of issuing a Red Corner Notice against Mansoor Khan and examining the possibility of invoking of Fugitive Economic Offenders Act against him.
The IMA promoter has been charged with perpetrating the Ponzi scheme, which allegedly duped 40,000 investors. Khan had earlier expressed willingness to return to India and cooperate in the probe. Recently, Khan uploaded the 18-minute long video wherein he had offered to surrender and vowed to expose big politicians after coming back to India.
