ACB raids MLA Zameer's residence, office in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Sleuths of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday conducted raids at the residence and offices of Congress MLA and former minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, the right hand man of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah.

According to sources, the raids were conducted in connection with the multi-crore IMA scandal. Simultaneous raids were conducted at multiple locations by a team of more than 40 ACB officials.

The MLA's Silver Oak apartments in the Cantonment area, a guest house in Sadashivanagar, G.K. Associates office in Banashankari and National Travels office in Chamarajpet were raided.

Earlier, raids were conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the residence and offices of the former minister. Sources said that the ED raids unearthed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. As per the directions of the ED, the ACB has registered a complaint and conducted raids, sources said.

Tight security arrangements were made in Chamarajpet and the Cantonment area where the raids were carried out. Congress workers and supporters of Khan, who gathered at his residence, raised slogans against the ruling BJP. The police department deputed a platoon of the Karnataka State Reserve Police to keep off the protestors.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated that the raids had been conducted in connection with pending cases against Khan. "The sleuths are taking action based on evidence."

"We will not obstruct the police from performing their duties. They are conducting raids wherever it is required. CID and ACB wings are doing a good job," Bommai stated.

Khan, a four-time MLA, had served as the food and civil supplies minister in the H D Kumaraswamy government for over a year from 2018 to 2019.

In August last year, the ED raided the house of Khan and another former minister R Roshan Baig's residence, allegedly in connection with the IMA Ponzi scheme worth Rs 4,000 crore in which thousands of people, mostly Muslims, were duped of their hard-earned money.

Khan, the MLA from Chamarajpet constituency in the city, had appeared before the ED multiple times.

The Congress claimed that the raid was an attempt to divert public attention from the police sub-inspectors recruitment scam in which Additional Director General of Police Amrit Paul, who was heading the recruitment division when large-scale irregularities took place, has been arrested.

"I feel the raids were carried out to divert public attention because the ACB is under the control of the Chief Minister. There is no connection between the ACB and the Enforcement Directorate," former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah told reporters.