J&K cricket scam: Farooq skips appearance before ED; cites health reasons [details]

National Conference president and former Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Thursday skipped his appearance before the Enforcement Directorate in the much-publicized Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKSC) scam on "health grounds".

Earlier, Dr. Farooq Abdullah skipped his appearance before the Court in 2022 in the same scam, citing health reasons. Reports said that the former Chief Minister has sent a communication to the ED office in Srinagar through an email and sought an exemption from appearing in person before it on health grounds.

Farooq asked to appear before ED on Thursday

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday summoned Dr Farooq Abdullah for questioning in connection with the JKCA scam.

In the summon the veteran politician was asked to depose at the ED office in Srinagar on Thursday. He was charge-sheeted by the agency, which investigates financial crimes, in the case in 2022.

Instead of appearing before the ED, Dr. Farooq Abdullah communicated to the agency about his inability to appear due to his health issues.

The case involves the siphoning of funds belonging to the JKCA, which were transferred to the personal bank accounts of various people including the office bearers of the association. The agency started a money laundering investigation on the basis of a charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation against office bearers of the association.

The 86-year-old veteran politician of J&K, who had earlier served as president of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), has been summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED several times earlier.

Cricket scam exposed in 2012

The scam came to light ten years ago when Muhammad Aslam Goni, the then JKCA managing committee chairman, lodged an FIR with the police on March 10, 2012, against Ahsan Mirza and Mohammad Saleem Khan - the then JKCA general secretary and chief administrative officer respectively - accusing the duo of pushing the funds into bogus bank accounts created in the name of the association.

From 2006 to 2012, the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) gave a whopping amount of Rs 113 crore to the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association as a grant for the promotion of cricket in J&K. Of this, Rs. 43.69 crore was allegedly siphoned off and misappropriated by some office-bearers of the Association.

Farooq facing allegation of siphoning off cricket funds

It was alleged that during this period, the then president of Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association Dr. Farooq Abdullah connived with the treasurer of JKCA and others to siphon off the funds. Mir Manzoor Gazanfar, who resigned as the treasurer of JKCA in 2008, had claimed that Dr. Abdullah visited his hotel in Srinagar and made him sign blank cheques.

Gazanfar alleged that Dr. Farooq Abdullah came with Ehsan Mirza, the then-general secretary of JKCA, and forced him (Gazanfar) to sign some blank cheques.

Ehsan Mirza is also accused of defrauding the association of over Rs 30 crore after allegedly opening bogus bank accounts on its behalf. He was later sacked on charges of embezzlement. He, however, claims that he has been made a scapegoat.

Case handed over to CBI in 2015

In 2015, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court handed over the investigation of the alleged scam to the CBI while indicting the state police for failing to carry out the probe in which Dr. Farooq Abdullah was named.

 The CBI had in 2018 filed a chargesheet against four, including Farooq Abdullah, who was the president of the state cricket board over alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 43.69 crore by the accused office bearers.

On October 21, 2020, Dr. Farooq Abdullah appeared before the Enforcement Directorate's regional office in Rajbagh in Srinagar's Civil Lines.

The Enforcement Directorate attached properties worth Rs 11.86 crore linked to Dr. Farooq Abdullah in connection with the scam on December 19, 2020.

The attached assets included property at Gupkar Road, Srinagar, a property at Tehsil Katipora, Tanmarg, a property at Bhatindi in Jammu, and one commercial property at the Residency Road area of Srinagar.

The allegations against Abdullah are that he "misused" his position as the president of the association and made appointments in the sports body so that the BCCI-sponsored funds could be laundered.

The NC president was the JKCA president from 2001 to 2012. The alleged scam, which is being investigated both by the CBI and the ED, apparently took place between 2004 and 2009.

The ED questioned Dr Abdullah several times in the past in connection with the JKCA scam.

The ED filed a chargesheet under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Abdullah before a Srinagar court in connection with the money laundering case in July 2022.