BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has reportedly granted sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) to file an FIR against two IPS officers -- Hemant Nimbalkar, IGP, Administration, Bengaluru City Police, and Ajay Hilori, SP, Karnataka State Reserve Police, in the multi-crore I Monetary Advisory (IMA) ponzi scheme scam.
Sources told TNIE that besides the two IPS officers, the government has reportedly granted similar sanction to the CBI against then DSP, CID, EB Sridhara, police inspector and station house officer, Commercial Street police station, M Ramesh, sub-inspector P Gowrishankar and then assistant commissioner, Bengaluru North sub-division, LC Nagaraj.
The CBI had last month sought permission from the Karnataka government for sanction against the IPS officers and four state government officers under PCA and Section 197 of the CrPC for criminal prosecution. "Sanction for the latter has not been granted as yet. The file is pending before the government," sources added.
The CBI, in a letter to the state government, reportedly stated that "prima facie, these public servants had allegedly committed offences under Sections 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2018, in discharge of their official functions and duties as public servants".
Section 7 of the PCA is on action against a public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act. Section 11 is on action against a public servant “obtaining valuable thing, without consideration from person concerned in proceeding or business transacted by such public servant”.
The CBI will probe the role of the six officers, who while conducting inquiries against the IMA Group entities, allegedly submitted ‘favourable’ reports, as a result of which the government took "no action against the fraudulent company and its entities," the CBI observed.
In November 2019, the CBI had conducted searches at 15 locations in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, including the premises of these officers. The IMA has allegedly duped thousands of people in the name of ‘Halal’ investment.