BENGALURU: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the IMA Jewels scam, has sent a request to the Interpol for a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against the absconding managing director of I Monetary Advisory, Mohammed Mansoor Khan.
“The warrant for the RCN was sent on June 15 to the Interpol division of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) through the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is the nodal agency in the state for the Interpol,” said SIT chief investigation officer B R Ravikanthe Gowda. The RCN is akin to an international arrest warrant. It is circulated by the Interpol to all member countries listing persons who are wanted for extradition.
Scam catches attention of global media
“According to police, Mansoor fled to Dubai on June 8 from Bengaluru, but the SIT needs to ascertain on what kind of visa he has gone abroad. He may have fled from Dubai as well, if he has multiple country visas. An immediate international arrest warrant is a must in this case,” said an officer. The IMA scam has gained international notoriety after angry Indians, who have settled in the UAE and have invested in IMA, expressed their dismay at being looted by Mansoor Khan in the name of ‘Halal’ investments.
“There are quite a few Indians — from Kerala, Karnataka and other South Indian states — in the UAE who have invested their savings running into lakhs of Dirhams in IMA. They are now demanding the arrest of Khan. He cannot be arrested in a foreign country without an RCN. A lot of international pressure is building up against the fraudulent company,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.
The IMA has an office in Dubai and some of the early investors are from there. Initially, they had got hefty returns.The scam has even caught the attention of international media with some of the leading news dailies in the UAE reporting the fraud and even questioning why Mansoor has not been detained so far by their law enforcement agencies.