BENGALURU: Just hours after the announcement of Mohammed Mansoor Khan, the founder of IMA Jewels’ returning to Bengaluru the Special Investigating Team which had earlier granted suspended Congress Leader Roshan Baig time to appear before them for questioning, was detained at around 9 PM by the team at the International Airport in Devanahalli.
Confirming the detention, a senior officer from the SIT said, "Roshan Baig, MLA from Shivajinagar has been detained for questioning from the Kempegowda International Airport when he was about to take off in a private chartered aircraft. It will be verified if his sudden plan to leave Bengaluru has anything to do with the recent release of the video by Mansoor Khan."
The detention also took on a political hue when Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy took to Twitter, accusing the BJP of having a role in Baig's planned trip.
Sharing a flight manifest which listed Baig as travelling with one more passenger named Santosh, Kumaraswamy alleged that the second person was none other than BS Yeddyurappa's personal assistant.
"I was told that on seeing the SIT, Santosh ran away while the team apprehended Mr. Baig," Kumaraswamy said in his tweet.
Kumaraswamy, who faces an all-important trust vote on Thursday, went on to allege that BJP MLA Yogeshwar CP was also present when Baig was detained.
He also accused Karnataka BJP of helping a former minister escape, who is facing a probe in the IMA fraud case.
"BJP MLA Yogeshwar was present at the time there. It's a shame that BJP Karnataka is helping a former minister escape, who is facing a probe in the IMA case. This clearly shows BJP's direct involvement in destabilizing the government through horse trading," he said.
He charged the BJP with 'horse trading' and said that it was evident that they were involved in the political crisis that his government finds itself in.
Baig, who was suspended from Congress for anti-party activities, had said on July 8 that he would quit the party and join BJP.
A day later, he resigned from his membership in the state Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, BJP as a reply to the Chief Minister said that the chief minister is using the state machinery to save his government as Roshan Baig was given time till 19th July to appear before SIT.
The BJPs twitter handle said: “CM HD Kumaraswamy is using the state machinery to save his govt now. Mr. Roshan Baig was given time till 19th July to appear before SIT. This shows how the state Govt is blackmailing and treating their own MLAs’ using the institutions.”
Refuting the claims that Yeddyurappa's personal assistant Santosh was travelling with Baig, the BJP said, "It is false that BS Yeddyurappa's PA Santhosh was travelling along with Mr Baig. The Chief Minister is peddling fake news and misleading the state. It was only Mr Baig who was travelling and there was no second passenger. We demand to check boarding passes and CCTV footage to put out the facts."
An 11-member SIT headed by DIG BR Ravikanthe Gowda was formed by the Karnataka government to probe the alleged fraud by the firm, which has an estimated Rs 200 crore investment from Muslim women alone.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will summon Baig, for his alleged links with Mohammad Mansoor Khan, promoter of IMA Jewels and prime accused in Ponzi scheme case, under investigation for duping 40,000 investors in the state, sources in the agency had said earlier.
Khan had claimed that he paid Rs 400 crore to Baig which he was not returning.
The IMA Jewels is embroiled in a case where the firm had allegedly cheated a large number of investors after promising them impressive returns on their deposits.
Baig's role is under investigation as ED has got evidence of his connection with Mansoor Khan.
Sources had told ANI that the expenditure of aircraft bills for the wedding of Baig's son was borne by Mansoor Khan, who is absconding after the scam surfaced.
Baig will be summoned and his statement will be recorded about the travel bills.
He will also be asked about the Rs 400 crore which Mansoor Khan has claimed to have given to him, sources added.
ED is in the process of issuing a Red Corner Notice against absconding accused Mohammad Mansoor Khan and is also examining the possibility of invoking the Fugitive Offenders Act.
Mansoor Khan disappeared after sending an audio clip to some investors threatening to commit suicide due to what he alleged was "harassment" by some politicians and rowdies.
Khan, in that message, alleged that Baig had taken Rs 400 crore and was not paying back.
Baig had, however, refuted the allegation and termed it a "total conspiracy."
(With ANI Inputs)