JKCA case: Farooq Abdullah skips ED hearing, cites health issues

Our Correspondent

Srinagar, January 11

Former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah didn’t appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for an inquiry into the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) case.

The ED had summoned Abdullah at its Srinagar office today. According to the NC sources, Abdullah didn’t appear because of health issues. The NC spokespersons refused to provide any details about the issue, saying they had no information.

Earlier this week, while addressing his party men in Jammu, Abdullah had said that Maharaja Hari Singh introduced Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir to safeguard the exclusive rights of the residents of J&K over land and jobs. He said the Maharaja brought Article 370 to ensure that the locals would have exclusive rights over jobs and land. “Are our people in J&K incapable that people from outside be brought in to work in the police or other government departments?” he had said.

The JKCA case came to light in 2012 when the Jammu and Kashmir Police filed an FIR against the former treasurer of JKCA, Ahsan Mirza, and the former general secretary and others accusing them of criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy. They were charged with diverting Rs 43.69 crore, received as a subsidy from BCCI, to three different accounts opened in the name of the JKCA by its officials. At that time, Abdullah served as the president of JKCA.

JKCA receives annual subsidies from BCCI. It is alleged that the accounts in the name of JKCA at Jammu and Kashmir Bank were used to divert BCCI funds to these “bogus” accounts.

In September 2015, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court transferred the case to the CBI for investigation. In July 2018, the CBI filed a chargesheet before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, against four accused persons, including Abdullah, who was accused of criminal breach of trust.

Later, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated an investigation into the case based on the CBI’s chargesheet. In July 2022, the ED filed a chargesheet under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Abdullah and others before a Srinagar court.

Following this, the court sought the presence of Abdullah, Mirza and others before it.

In July 2022, the ED submitted a supplementary complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) before the Special PMLA Court in Srinagar against Abdullah, Mirza and others. This supplementary complaint was filed after the ED attached movable and immovable assets amounting to Rs 21.55 crore in the case.

Rs 43.69 crore diverted

• The JKCA case came to light in 2012 when J&K Police filed an FIR against the former treasurer of JKCA, Ahsan Mirza, and the former general secretary and others accusing them of criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy
• They were charged with diverting Rs 43.69 crore, received as a subsidy from BCCI, to three different accounts opened in the name of the JKCA by its officials. At that time, Abdullah served as the president of JKCA

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