Minister for Food and Civil Supplies and Wakf B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan on Wednesday said he had sold property spread over 14,924 sq. ft on Serpentine Street in Richmond Town in the city to IMA Jewels proprietor Mohammed Mansoor Khan, but denied having any further business dealings with him.
Mr. Zameer Ahmed Khan told reporters here that he sold the property for ₹9.38 crore a few months ago, but had not borrowed a loan from Mansoor Khan. He had paid tax on the income he had earned by selling the property and had declared it in his affidavit, the Minister said.
Though he had received a few WhatsApp messages about investors being cheated by Mansoor Khan before the scam broke out, he had treated them as fake, he added. He had met Mansoor Khan on four occasions in the past, the Minister said.
The Minister said only a probe would reveal the involvement of bureaucrats, politicians, and policemen in the scam. He evaded questions on Mansoor Khan having funded political parties and leaders, and appealed to the businessman to return to the city. The government would provide him protection if he comes to the city and returns the investors’ money, the Minister said.
The 13-year-old company has been running many business ventures such as real estate, construction, school education, jewellery, and finance, the Minister said.
