BENGALURU: The CBI sleuths investigating into the multi-crore I Monetary Advisory (IMA) fraud case reportedly questioned IAS officer Rajkumar Khatri. Sources said the CBI interrogated Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department Khatri in the case in which the company has duped about 40,000 investors to the tune of Rs 1,450 crore.According to sources, during interrogation by ED, IMA founder Mansoor Khan revealed that former minister for revenue and industries R V Deshpande had taken Mansoor to meet Khatri.
Sources said that in his statement to the CBI, Mansoor confessed that the minister had sought a bribe of Rs 5 crore to issue a no objection certificate (NOC) to get Mansoor a loan of Rs 600 crore and another Rs 5 crore for the IAS officer to sign the certificate.“Mansoor’s statement to CBI says that Deshpande sought Rs 5 crore as bribe and that principal secretary of the revenue department Rajkumar Khatri was to be taken care of separately by paying another Rs 10 crore. It was later negotiated and brought down to
Rs 5 crore,” a source said.
However, Khatri’s statement has been recorded by the CBI team and Deshpande had earlier rubbished the claim. Meanwhile, sources said that everyone whose names have cropped up during investigation might be questioned and their statements will be recorded by the CBI. The agency, on Thursday, questioned former minister Zameer Ahmed Khan in connection with the scam. He was questioned about the land that was purchased by the former minister from IMA.
custody extended
CBI has extended the custody of IMA founder Mansoor Khan and one of the directors Naveed Ahmed till September 24. The other two accused, Nizamuddin and Naseer Hussain, have been sent back to judicial custody.