IMA probe: Nimbalkar under SIT lens

BENGALURU: In a major development in the investigation into the multi-crore I Monetary Advisory (IMA) investment scam, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) raided Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Hemanth Nimbalkar's previous office in Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Monday.

Highly placed sources told Deccan Chronicle that the raid was carried out after the IPS officer's name had figured during the course of the investigation.

Nimbalkar was Inspector General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department & Economic Offences and he was the officer heading the probe into the functioning of IMA run by Mohammed Mansoor Khan, after state police directed the CID for investigation following a notice from the RBI.

Nimbalkar had on January 18, 2019, gave a clean chit to IMA and its group of entities and submitted a report to the District Commissioner. Exactly a month after the IMA scam fallout on June 10, in which over 50,000 investors were duped of over Rs 4,000 crore Nimbalkar was transferred and posted as IGP, ACB.

The sources said that SIT, which carried out the raid at Nimbalkar's previous office in CID headquarters, has recovered tampered documents pertaining to the investigation of IMA, which the SIT is examining.

Meanwhile, a PIL has been filed at the Karnataka High Court by Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath (JSP) with regards to IMA scam with Nimbalkar as respondent 1.

The PIL was filed against Nimbalkar over his inquiry report that he had submitted on January 18, 2019,after investigating the functioning of IMA.

The report had absolved Mansoor Khan of any wrongdoing and this helped the accused escape to a foreign country.

DSP CID absconding?

The SIT after recovering the documents from the CID office had issued summons on Monday to DSP, CID, Shridhar, who was also part of the investigation team that probed the functioning of IMA.

However, sources said Shridhar was absconding ever since he came to know about the summons.