Karnataka Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan Faces Probe Over Decade-Old Financial Dealings

Bengaluru: A decade old financial transaction, where Karnataka Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan had raised a loan from film actress Radhika Kumaraswamy, former MP and JD(S) leader Kupendra Reddy and few others has come to haunt the minister now.

The Karnataka Lokayukta, which is probing into the disproportionate assets case against the minister, has been provided with a list of people who had lent him money when he was making certain investments during 2012-2018.

Now, Lokayukta police have issued notices to over 30 people to submit documents regarding lending money to Minister Zameer and the further transactions regarding the same money.

The issue started rolling out after the Enforcement Directorate raided a financial firm called I Monetary Advisory, run by Mohammed Mansoor Khan. During the investigation, the ED traced that Zameer Ahamed Khan had financial transactions with I Monetary Advisory and had purchased a site on Richmond road from Mansoor Khan. The ED had handed over the disproportionate assets case to the then Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which was later abolished and merged with Lokayukta.

During its investigation, Zameer had provided a list of people who had lent him money in the time of distress. It included the name of Radhika Kumaraswamy, who was once linked to H D Kumaraswamy and his close associate Kupendra Reddy. While Radhika Kumaraswamy is said to have lent Rs two crore to Zameer, Kupendra Reddy has lent him Rs one crore.

After receiving the Lokayukta notice, Radhika Kumaraswamy has given a statement to the Lokayukta that she had produced a movie called Lucky in 2012. She got profit from the Satellite rights as well as the movie and she had lent money out of that profit.

The Lokayukta has sought proper documents pertaining to that transaction and Radhika Kumaraswamy has assured to provide them in a few days.

However, Kupendra Reddy and other 30 people have not yet responded to the notice of Lokayukta.