National Conference Chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, is currently staying at his Jammu residence amidst a summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Jammu Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) Scam case. The ED had called Farooq Abdullah to appear before its office in Srinagar today, but he remains at his Jammu residence, which was attached by the ED in 2020.
This marks the second instance of Farooq Abdullah skipping the ED summons related to the alleged 113-crore irregularities within the JKCA from 2004 to 2009. Farooq Abdullah held the presidency of the JKCA from 2001 to 2012. The ED has accused him of misusing his position and manipulating appointments to facilitate the laundering of funds from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
At his Jammu residence, Farooq Abdullah is reportedly holding a meeting with several top leaders of the National Conference, including the Provincial Chief for Jammu, Ratan Lal Gupta. Discussions are said to be underway on various political developments.
The JKCA Scam case involves a probe by the ED into financial irregularities within the JKCA, including the diversion of funds to personal bank accounts and unexplained cash withdrawals. Farooq Abdullah was charge-sheeted by the ED in 2022, following a 2018 charge-sheet by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the same accused individuals.
The case revolves around a 113-crore alleged fraud within the JKCA from 2004 to 2009, during Abdullah’s tenure as president from 2001 to 2012. It is alleged that Abdullah misused his position to manipulate appointments, facilitating the laundering of BCCI-sponsored funds.
In December 2020, the ED took action by attaching properties worth 12 crore. Abdullah contested this move in the high court, asserting that the properties were either ancestral or acquired before the alleged offense, with no connection to the purported crime.