Zameer on ED radar, 5 properties raided

Congress MLA and former minister Zameer Ahmed Khan became the latest Opposition leader in the state to be targeted by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) with sleuths of the agency swooping down on his properties and business estblishment at five places in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The raids were carried out following an ED report on alleged disproportionate assets, police said. The raids began as early as 3:30 am and were carried out at Khan’s residence near Cantonment Railway station, a flat in Silver Oak Apartments, a guest house at Sadashivanagar, G K Associates office at Banashankari and National Travels office in Kalasipalya here.

“The ACB teams are verifying the documents and the investigation is on,” sources from the city police said on Tuesday. The MLA from Chamrajpet constituency in the city had appeared before the ED several times earlier. He is a four-time MLA and had served as food and civil supplies minister in the HD Kumaraswamy government for over a year from June 2018.

Last year in August, the Enforcement Directorate had raided 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 were duped of their hard-earned money.

The Congress termed the raid as 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, was arrested.

A large number of people, including Congress workers and several local residents, gathered outside the MLA’s house near Bamboo Bazar and protested against the raids. One of Zameer’s supporters even tried to set himself ablaze by pouring kerosene during the protests. However, the police intervened and thwarted the attempt.