National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case, has conveyed to the agency that he will not be able to appear before it in Srinagar on Tuesday as he is currently out of town. According to official sources, he informed the ED officials about his unavailability through "an email and a letter."
Abdullah was scheduled to be deposed at the ED office in Srinagar on Tuesday, but it has been learnt that he is currently in Jammu. The 86-year-old politician was last called by the central agency in this case on January 11 but he did not appear then as well.
When Abdullah was charge-sheeted?
Abdullah was charge-sheeted by the central agency in the case in 2022. The case relates to siphoning off the funds of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association by way of transfer to various personal bank accounts of unrelated parties, including those of JKCA office bearers, and by way of unexplained cash withdrawals from JKCA bank accounts.
What is the case?
The agency's case is based on a 2018 charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the same accused. The BCCI has allocated a sum of Rs 112 crore to JKCA, out of which a scam of Rs 43.6 crore was revealed. This scam allegedly took place when Abdullah was the President of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association between 2001 and 2012.
Abdullah asked to appear in Srinagar's ED office
It should be mentioned here that the summons have asked the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir to depose at the ED office in Srinagar. The quantum of proceeds of crime identified by ED in this case so far is Rs 51.90 crore, out of which assets worth Rs 21.55 crore have been attached by ED. The ED earlier arrested Ahsan Ahmad Mirza, the then treasurer of JKCA, on September 4, 2019, and a prosecution complaint was filed on November 1, 2019, against him.
(With inputs from PTI)
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