Bengaluru: Rebel Congress MLA Roshan Baig was was released from detention on Tuesday after several hours of questioning by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged IMA Ponzi scheme. He will have to turn up on July 19 for further questioning.
Baig was detained by sleuths of the team on Monday night just before he was to board a chartered plane to an unknown destination from Bengaluru airport.
The SIT had asked Baig to appear before it on July 15 but he did not turn up citing important works and had instead said that he would be available on July 25.
The MLA was quizzed for the whole Monday night and was released at about 12.30 pm on Tuesday.
"He was taken for enquiry. He has been asked to appear on July 19," a police officer in the SIT said.
Baig, after coming out of the SIT office, said that there was some confusion in the SIT due to which he was detained.
The MLA added he would cooperate with investigators and appear before them on July 19 as well.
Baig claimed the SIT has permitted him to travel anywhere in the country.
"I wanted to fly from here to Pune last night but they were under some confusion that I am running away. It was deliberate. Some people played mischief but I will not blame
anybody," Baig said.
The rebel Congress MLA, suspended from the party for his 'anti-party activities', is among the 16 legislators of the ruling combine who have tendered their resignations from the assembly.
It was alleged Baig was about to fly to Mumbai to join other rebel MLAs camping there but he refuted the charge saying that he was flying to Pune for some 'personal work'.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy tweeted on Monday night that Baig was flying to Mumbai and BJP state chief BS Yeddyurappa's personal assistant Santhosh accompanied him when the SIT detained him at the airport.
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Today SIT probing the #IMA case detained @rroshanbaig for questioning at the BIAL airport while he was trying leave along with @BSYBJP's PA Santosh on a chartered flight to Mumbai. I was told that on seeing the SIT, Santhosh ran away while the team apprehended Mr. Baig. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/MmyH4CyVfP
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 15, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Today SIT probing the #IMA case detained @rroshanbaig for questioning at the BIAL airport while he was trying leave along with @BSYBJP's PA Santosh on a chartered flight to Mumbai. I was told that on seeing the SIT, Santhosh ran away while the team apprehended Mr. Baig. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/MmyH4CyVfP
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 15, 2019Today SIT probing the #IMA case detained @rroshanbaig for questioning at the BIAL airport while he was trying leave along with @BSYBJP's PA Santosh on a chartered flight to Mumbai. I was told that on seeing the SIT, Santhosh ran away while the team apprehended Mr. Baig. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/MmyH4CyVfP
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 15, 2019
Kumaraswamy had cited it as a case of BJP's attempt to destabilise his government by poaching the MLAs of alliance partners Congress and the JD(S). The BJP rejected the charges.
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BJP's Yogeshwar was present at the time there.Its a shame that @BJP4Karnataka 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 govt through horse trading.2/2@INCIndia @INCKarnataka
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 16, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">BJP's Yogeshwar was present at the time there.Its a shame that @BJP4Karnataka 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 govt through horse trading.2/2@INCIndia @INCKarnataka
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 16, 2019BJP's Yogeshwar was present at the time there.Its a shame that @BJP4Karnataka 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 govt through horse trading.2/2@INCIndia @INCKarnataka
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 16, 2019
In a big jolt to the ruling coalition, sixteen MLAs have resigned from the assembly while two independent lawmakers extended their support to the BJP, bringing the government on
the verge of collapse.
A former minister in the previous Siddaramaiah government, Baig landed in the IMA controversy after the company owner Mohammed Mansoor Khan, facing charges of duping thousands of investors alleged the Congress MLA took Rs 400 crore from him but did not return it.
Baig has dismissed the charges as 'baseless and frivolous'.
Baig has been sulking for quite some time and had flayed party leaders Siddaramaiah and state president Dinesh Gundu Rao for the party's poor show in the Lok Sabha election. He was recently suspended for "anti-party" activities.
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