BENGALURU: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is yet to receive two important cases from Karnataka; on the alleged illegal phone tapping of politicians and bureaucrats during the tenure of the JDS Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who was then heading the coalition government and the multi-crore I Monetary Advisory (IMA) Ponzi scheme scam, in which around 40,000 investors have been duped of crores of rupees by the IMA founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan.
Sources in the CBI told The New Indian Express that the agency is yet to receive the notification regarding the cases from the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), which is also the administrative wing of the agency. “The CBI can register cases only after the DoPT notifies the agency regarding the transfer of cases from the state,” said an official source.
Early last week the government had issued the orders on handing over the investigation in the two cases to the premier central investigating agency, given the gravity of the crimes and their ramifications. The Government Order (GO) on phone tapping was issued on August 19 on the recommendation by Director General & Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP).
The GO asked for a CBI investigation and inquiry into all illegal, unauthorised and unwanted interceptions of telephones of political leaders belonging to the ruling party and opposition as well as their associates, relatives and also of the government servants from August 1, 2018 till the date of the order. A case was registered under Section 72 of the Indian Technology Act, 2000 and Section 26 of Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Bengaluru.
The GO on handing over the IMA case to CBI was issued on August 20. The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was constituted to probe the multi crore scam has recorded statements of the main accused Mansoor Khan, other accused, witnesses and victims, which run across 61 pages.
The investigation file itself is around 20,000 pages, said an official source. The state sanction in both the cases was accorded to the CBI under Sections (5) and (6) of Delhi Special Police Establishment Act 1946 for further investigation and inquiry.