Karnataka Floor Test Today, Karnataka Trust Vote : Stung by the resignation of 15 MLAs, the strength of Kumaraswamy government in the 225-member Assembly to 102 MLAs compared to the opposition BJP’s 105 MLAs plus two Independents.

The political drama in Karnataka continues with the Assembly being adjourned close to midnight on Monday, with a fresh deadline of 6 pm Tuesday to complete the floor test. “Don’t make me a breaker of promises… It will not bring respect to the House or to me,” Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar said, reminding the H D Kumaraswamy-led government to honour their commitment to conclude the trust vote proceedings on Monday.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, however, changed track and requested the Speaker to postpone the vote till the Supreme Court clarifies its order on the issue of a whip to 15 rebel coalition MLAs who had resigned. The Speaker has also directed the rebel MLAs to appear before him at 11 am Tuesday to respond to a complaint of disqualification filed against them.

The Supreme Court, meanwhile, is likely to take up for hearing a fresh plea filed by two Independent Karnataka MLAs, seeking holding of the floor test “forthwith” in the state Assembly. The MLAs who withdrew support to the ruling coalition have sought direction to the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition government to conduct the floor test on or before 5 pm on Monday.

The fate of the fragile Congress-JDS government in Karnataka will be decided today with a trust vote in the Assembly, even as a new twist to the political saga saw the grand old party assert that the JDS was “ready to sacrifice” for the coalition and they wanted either Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara or DK Shivakumar to be the chief minister. A day before the vote, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy appealed to rebel MLAs to return and “expose” the BJP during the debate in the House, but they ruled out attending the session. Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa exuded confidence that “tomorrow will be the last day of the Kumaraswamy government” and said the chief minister was just trying to buy time.

After the voting on confidence motion did not take place despite two deadlines on July 19 set by Governor Vajubhai Vala, two Independent MLAs, who withdrew support to the Congress-JD(S) government, are going to move the Supreme Court seeking a direction for conducting a floor test forthwith in the state Assembly, their lawyer said.

Pramesh Jain

IMA Multi-Crore Fraud case :IMA Key Accused Mastermind, Mohammed Mansoor Khan arrested in Delhi Airport by ED,&SIT :

“In its first of its kind in the history of Bengaluru city police the SIT officers  has been successful in tracing and securing the key accused of biggest Multi-Crore Fraud case mastermind key accused,Mohammed Mansoor Khan  nabbed in one and half month in a joint operation by ED&SIT.”

The main accused in the Multi-Crore I Monetory Advisory scam Mansoor Khan was arrested in a joint operation led by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Special Investigation Team formed by karnataka state government.Team led by DG&IGP of karnataka Neelamani N Raju,headed by DIG,DR.BR Ravikanthe Gowda under the supervision of DCP,Girish S,with the able guidance and directions by there senior officers has finally nabbed the mastermind kingpin Mansoor Khan after 45 days on Friday soon after he arrived in Delhi from the Dubai,UAE.
IMA founder Mansoor Khan, who is accused of perpetrating financial fraud worth crores,returned to India in the early hours of Friday.
Mohammed Mansoor Khan, the owner of IMA jewels, has been arrested in New Delhi and is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), said a special investigation team (SIT) in Bengaluru which is probing the alleged ponzi scam.
Khan, who had fled to Dubai, flew back to India and was arrested on landing in Delhi, it said in a statement.
The SIT said that its sources in Dubai persuaded him to come back and submit himself before the law.
Accordingly he travelled from Dubai to New Delhi (Flight AI 916) and landed at 01550 hours IST.SIT officers are in Delhi to secure and arrest the accused,it said.
A lookout circular was issued against him by both SIT and ED and he would be handed over according to procedure, the SIT said.
The mastermind behind the Ponzi scam is being quizzed and grilled by ED officials in New Delhi and will later be sent to Bengaluru for a detailed probe by the SIT.
SIT Chief,DIG,Dr.BR Ravikanthe Gowda,chief of the Special Investigation team probing the matter, said,An SIT team under the supervision of DCP Girish S and his team of 11 members SIT officers with the reliable sources has located IMA founder-owner Mohammed Mansoor Khan in Dubai, through its sources,and persuaded him to come back to India and submit himself before law. Accordingly, he has travelled from Dubai to New Delhi.SIT officers are in Delhi to secure and arrest him.As Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him by both Special Investigation Team (SIT) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), he will be handed over according to the procedures and at present he is in Joint custody of Enforcement directorate and SIT and as on 19th as per the notice issued to former Minister Shivajinagar MLA R Roshan Baig to appear before us for questioning has appeared today before SIT and submitted relevant records for perusal and the SIT team will go through the records.If further questioning is required he will be called again said by SIT Chief,Dr.BR.Ravikanthe Gowda. 
More than one lakh people had invested in the IMA Jewels which started 17 companies.Khan invited people, mostly Muslims, to invest in five companies, said the SIT, adding that Rs 4,084 crore was invested in the company.He has to refund approximately Rs 1,400 crore to his investors, the SIT said.
Around one and half months ago, Khan had fled to Dubai leaving thousands of investors in lurch.
Khan had promised his investors that he would return to India and would refund their money.
Based on thousands of complaints, the SIT registered a case against him and others. It has so far arrested more than 22 people, including Mohammed Mansoor Khan,12 directors of the firm,accused has been identified as,Dada Peer, Nasir Hussain, Naveed Ahmed Nattamkar, Nizammudin Azeemuddin, Afshan Tabassum,Afsar Pasha and Arshad Khan,Auditor Iqbal khan,Mohammed Idris,Shabad Akbar Khan,Israr Ahmed Khan,Usman Arbaize,Fuzail Ahmed,with Nominated corporator,Syed Mujahid,BDA Executive Engineer,Kumar,Assistant Commissioner North,LC Nagaraj,Bengaluru urban,Deputy Commissioner,BM Vijayshankar,Village Accountant Manjunath,Moulvi,Haneef Afsar Azeez,Brigade Babu,Muneer alias Gun Muneer,another Moulvi identified as,Umar Sharieff,and the main accused fugitive,Mohammed Mansoor Khan also been arrested jointly by Enforcement Directorate and SIT.
Before fleeing he had accused Shivajinagar Congress MLA R Roshan Baig of taking Rs 400 crore and not returning it.Baig categorically refuted the charge, terming it false and frivolous. The MLA who had rebelled against the party was suspended for anti-party activities.Baig then joined the bandwagon of rebel MLAs who resigned.The SIT had served him a notice to depose before it on July 15, but he sought time till July 25th.The SIT then asked him to be present before it on July 19.The day Baig was supposed to appear before SIT, he planned to fly to Mumbai by a special chartered plane but the SIT detained him and quizzed him extensively.The SIT released Baig and asked him to appear on July 19 and asked him to appear before them.
Earlier, on Monday, in a video message, Mansoor Khan had said, “God willing, I will return to India in the next 24 hours, I have full faith in Indian judiciary. First of all, leaving India was a big mistake, but circumstances were such that I had to leave. I don’t even know where my family is.
While Bengaluru DC,Vijay Shankar got Rs 1.5 crore,Nagaraj received Rs 4 crore from Khan to cover up the case and issue favourable reports repeatedly for IMA Jewels, after the Reserve Bank of India expressed concern about the functioning of the firm.
Two Moulana as Moulvi arrested for provoking or propagating investors to invest in IMA :
Meanwhile as on July 11th based on credible inputs the SIT team has arrested a maulvi on charge of Propagating people to invest in the IMA ponzi scheme.The arrested, Haneef Afsar Azeezi who worked as a priest at Masjid-e-Beparian in Shivajinagar is alleged to have influenced several people by Propagating them to invest in IMA in the name of Halal.For this the absconded prime accused IMA founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan has gifted the Moulvi a three storied building in HRBR layout in the year 2017,worth of Rs.3 Crores has also been seized and the  moulvi who was arrested on thursday July 11th,for encouraging Muslims to invest in IMA, has also been remanded in judicial custody till July 25th and further investigation is on and as on July 18th Another Moulana a Moulvi identified as Umar Sharieff (42) year old,Running a School by name.“Al Basheer” near off Banneraghatta Road,Bangalore.who is also a social activist,Educationist.Propagating for IMA and Mansoor Khan for last 5 Yrs.He has taken gifts as Rs. 60 Lakh in cash,with a 15 Lakh Rs worth Ashok Leyland Van for propagating IMA from Mansoor Khan.the SIT has produced the accused before the court and he has been remanded to Police custody till 22.07.2019.
Others who have been arrested include a corporator, a Bangalore Development Authority officer and a village accountant.
The SIT had in the past raided many IMA showrooms and recovered cash, gold, silver, valuable gems and costly perfumes.
The ED which has registered a money laundering case in the scam in which thousands of depositors are said to have been duped, had attached assets worth Rs 209 crore,including 20 immovable properties and bank deposits, in connection with the case.
Over 40,000 complaints have been filed against the company, demanding that their money be returned.

Karnataka Crisis: Visuals showed the lawmakers having dinner and then settling down for the night in more casual clothes.

BJP legislators eating dinner at the opposition lounge of Vidhana Soudha.
BENGALURU: 

Karnataka BJP lawmakers had dinner in the assembly and slept on its green carpeted floor at the end of a dramatic day at the Vidhana Souda on Thursday. The BJP was protesting what it called the Congress-Janta Dal Secular coalition’s refusal to take a trust vote at the earliest. Despite the political stand-off, political Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara of the Congress arranged food for his BJP colleagues.

“It is our duty to arrange food and other things for them. Some of them have diabetes and blood pressure conditions. So, we have arranged everything for them here. Beyond politics we’re friends, it is the beauty of democracy,” Mr Parameshwara was quoted as telling news agency ANI.

Visuals showed the lawmakers having dinner and then settling down for the night in more casual clothes. Some were seen with bed clothes and pillows delivered from their homes.

Photos showed Karnataka BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa sleeping in what appeared to be the centre of the house.

BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa sleeping on the floor of the Karnataka assembly.

“This government has lost the majority. They tried to drag on the issue and tried to provoke us but we acted with patience. We will continue to press for a trust vote on the motion. We will stage night-long dharna in the House,” Mr Yeddyurappa had earlier told NDTV.

Many lawmakers slept in the Well of the House and on the passage leading to the centre.

This morning, some of the BJP legislators were seen taking a morning walk in the assembly premises.

On the BJP’s complaint, Governor Vajubhai Vala yesterday wrote to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and asked him to prove his majority by 1.30 pm on Friday.

As many as 16 MLAs — 13 from Congress and three from JDS — had resigned, while independent MLAs R Shankar and H Nagesh have withdrawn their support to the government, putting it on the edge.

BENGALURU: 

With the Karnataka Governor asking Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to prove majority in the Assembly by Friday afternoon, state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa predicted the end of the coalition government and said his party will decide on the future course of action after consulting the national leadership.

Governor Vajubhai Vala had asked the Chief Minister to prove his majority in the Assembly before 1.30 pm on Friday. “Mostly today will be the end of Congress-JDS government”s misrule… the Chief Minister will make his farewell speech today, we will patiently hear it,” Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

“Depending on the outcome of the proceedings in the House today, we will discuss with our national president Amit Shah and decide on the future course of action,” he added.

This Friday will mark a good day for the BJP in Karnataka, Yeddyurappa said adding “I”m confident that with God’s grace, everything will be good.”

Mr Yeddyurappa, who is Leader of the Opposition, along with the party MLAs stay put in the Assembly last night, protesting the delay in the trust vote.

Accusing the ruling coalition and the Assembly Speaker of trying to delay the trust vote despite fixing a time, the BJP leader said “they tried to instigate us on Thursday but we remained silent, we will continue to do the same thing on Friday also.”

A new political showdown loomed in Karnataka as the governor Thursday night set a timeline and asked Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to prove his majority before 1.30 pm Friday, hours after a trust vote could not take place with the Speaker adjourning the day”s proceedings in the assembly.

Shortly after the Assembly rocked by bedlam was adjourned on Thursday, Vala had shot off a letter to Kumaraswamy, saying resignation of 15 ruling combine MLAs and withdrawal of support by two independents “prima facie” indicated he has lost the confidence of the House.

The trial of strength is taking place after the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the 15 rebel Congress-JDS MLAs “ought not” to be compelled to participate in the proceedings of the ongoing session of the state Assembly.

As many as 16 MLAs — 13 from Congress and three from JDS — had resigned, while independent MLAs R Shankar and H Nagesh have withdrawn their support to the government, putting it on the edge.

Congress member Ramalinga Reddy retracted, saying he would support the government.

The ruling combine”s strength is 117– Congress 78, JD(S) 37, BSP 1, and nominated 1, besides the Speaker.

With the support of the two independents, the opposition BJP has 107 MLAs in the 225-member House, including the nominated MLA and Speaker.

If the resignations of 15 MLAs (12 from Congress, 3 from JDS) are accepted, the ruling coalition”s tally will plummet to 101, (excluding the Speaker) reducing the government to a minority.

This is the third motion on trust vote after the 2018 assembly polls yielded a fractured mandate with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats but failing to mobilise numbers.

Mr Yeddyurappa had resigned as CM after being in office for three days before facing the trust vote in May last year. HD Kumaraswamy who succeeded him had won the trust vote after forming the coalition government.

Adding to the worries of the ruling coalition, another Congress MLA Shreemant Patil was not seen in the House on Thursday, in the midst of reports he has been admitted in a Mumbai hospital.COMMENT

BSP MLA Mahesh, on whose support the coalition was counting, also did not show up, amid reports he was keeping away as he has not received any directions from the party leader Mayawati on the stand to be taken on the trust vote.