ED questions Farooq Abdullah in JK Cricket Association money laundering case
Enforcement Directorate (ED) is questioning former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in connection with the alleged multi-crore Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association scam when Farooq Abdullah was the chairman of J&K Cricket Association, the sources said. The questioning on Monday is taking place in Srinagar and is based on bank documents, sources added. They said the National Conference president’s statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as in the past.
In 2015, The Jammu and Kashmir High Court handed over the investigation of the alleged scam of Crores in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) to the CBI while indicting the state police for failing to carry out the probe in which former chief minister Farooq Abdullah has been named.
While referring to Abdullah’s name in the scam and citing reasons for handing over the probe to the CBI, the court had said that the president of the JKCA is a “tall political personality” having served as the CM of the state and served as the Union minister in the previous government.
His complicity is alleged in granting approval to two contradictory resolutions pertaining to the operation of bogus accounts of the JKCA to keep accused Ahsan Mirza in control of financial matters despite his ceasing to be a treasurer after the 2011 elections.
Abdullah’s son Omar Abdullah tweeted that the National Conference would be responding to the ED summons shortly.
The party will be responding to this ED summons shortly. This is nothing less then political vendetta coming days after the formation of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration. To set the record straight no raids are being conducted at Dr Sahib’s residence.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 19, 2020
While Jammu and Kashmir National Conference in his statement on Monday asserted that BJP after failing to politically fight party president Dr. Farooq Abdullah has resorted to employing its agencies for the task.
Party spokesperson said, “The ED summons to Dr. Farooq Abdullah is clearly the result of the unity that Dr. Sahib has been able to forge among mainstream political parties in J&K. This is the price one faces when opposed to BJP’s ideology and divisive politics. Recent history is a witness to how BJP has been employing coercive and intimidative measures through various departments to target opposition leaders across the country. The recent ED summon to Dr. Farooq Abdullah is a case in point.”
The statement further added, “The timing of the recent summon is very clear. His previous summons were just before Aug 5 last year and today’s summon comes within days of forming the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration of which Dr. Farooq Abdullah has taken a lead.”
“Dr. Farooq Abdullah continues to maintain his innocence and will cooperate with the authorities in what is nothing but a witch hunt,” the statement said.
Failing to fight him politically, BJP employing its agencies to target Dr Farooq Abdullah: NC
Full statement here:https://t.co/He4oviRHa2 pic.twitter.com/PhFqNASwbW
— JKNC (@JKNC_) October 19, 2020
