The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is on Monday questioning National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association scam. Reports said the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was being questioned at the ED office in Srinagar.
The J&K Cricket Association scam concerns alleged misappropriation of Rs 43 crores. Farooq was the chairman of the J&K Cricket Association when the funds were allegedly misappropriated.
The ED had questioned the NC patron in 2019 as well ahead of the abrogation of Article 370 in August, when most politicians and separatist leaders in the Kashmir Valley were placed under house arrest as a precautionary measure.
Farooq was released from house arrest earlier this year, followed by his son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.
Reacting to the development, Farooq’s son Omar Abdullah tweeted: “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 (sic).”
The CBI has already filed a charge sheet in connection with the case and had named Farooq and three others in the case. All four were accused of allegedly misappropriating over Rs 43 crores from grants that were given to the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association by the BCCI. The money was provided for the promotion of cricket in the state from 2002 to 2011.
The CBI had accused Farooq of conniving with JKCA treasurer and others. The three others charged by the ABI include the then JKCA general secretary Md Saleem Khan, the then treasurer Ahsan Ahmad Mirza, and J&K Bank executive Bashir Ahmad Misgar.
“It was alleged that the BCCI had given Rs 112 crore (approx) to JKCA from the year 2002 to 2011 as grant for the promotion of game of cricket in the state, out of which Rs 43.69 crore (approx) was siphoned off and misappropriated by the accused persons,” the CBI had stated in a statement.