Karnataka government files FIR against Rajya Sabha deputy chairman in fraud case

In a move that would certainly add to the troubles of the Congress party that is facing corruption charges at the national level, the Karnataka state government has filed an FIR against Rajya Sabha deputy chairman K Rahman Khan in an alleged fraud case.

On the basis of an inquiry report, into the alleged loan scam in Amanath Cooperative Bank, the Cooperation Department has registered an FIR against Khan as also two others on charges of financial irregularities of Rs102.02 crore.

According to the minister for cooperation, Laxman Savadi the cooperation department's joint registrar Sehar Bhanu had conducted an inquiry into alleged irregularities and submitted a report estimating the loss to the state exchequer at Rs102.02 crore.

According to Savadi, when Khan was president he sanctioned loans to benami names and following the inquiry the total scam amount had been estimated at Rs102.02 crore. He added along with Khan, two others, Zia Ul Sharief, former president of the bank and AA Qatib, former director of the bank had also been booked under same sections. Savadi said a report would be sent to the centre on the issue.

In its second inquiry report, the cooperation department had clearly stated that irregularities had been conducted between 2002 and 2005 when Zia Ul Sharief was the president and Rahman Khan was one of the directors of Amanath Cooperative Bank.

Meanwhile, Khan, strongly denying any fraud says filing an FIR without giving any notice or opportunity to him to explain or to bring to his notice any allegation was a deliberate attempt to tarnish his image.