Ambidant: Central Crime Branch arrests journalist

Bengaluru: Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths on Sunday arrested a journalist working for a Kannada news channel on charges of criminal conspiracy and deterring a public servant from discharging his duty. 

The journalist, Ashoka, has been arrested for allegedly being part of a press conference in which Zaid Khan and Sirajuddin alleged that CCB officials were in nexus with the owners of Ambidant, an investment company that duped thousands of investors to the tunes of crores, and demanded a CBI investigation into the case.

The CCB had made businessman Vijay Tata, who is said to have had big transactions with the dubious Ambidant Company, as accused 1 and Ashoka has been treated as his associate after it was established that he was part of the press meet.

The CCB officials produced Ashoka before a magistrate on Sunday and secured two-day custody for further investigation.

On Wednesday, Zaid Khan, an architect and claimed to be one of the investors in Ambidant, addressed the press conference saying that the CCB is not a competent agency to investigate the case as money to the tune of Rs 900 crore had been diverted to various companies and outside the country.

Meanwhile, CCB officials had conducted raids at businessman Vijay Tata after he failed to appear before the investigating officer on Thursday. Officials had raided his office in RT Nagar and his residence in Amruthahalli and seized documents and also issued another notice to appear for questioning.