Farooq Abdullah Summoned by ED in Cricket Association Money Laundering Case

Abdullah has been accused of laundering money through his associate Ahsan Ahmad Mirza.

Farooq Abdullah.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint) 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday, 27 May, summoned former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah to appear before it on 31 May in the money laundering case against the office-bearers of the union territory's cricket association.

The ED summon requires the former chief minister to appear before its Chandigarh office, but due to his ill health, there is a possibility that he might appear before the probe agency's Srinagar branch instead.

In October 2020, Abdullah was summoned twice by the ED in this case. The ED had earlier seized property worth Rs 7.25 crore belonging to Abdullah's associate Ahsan Ahmad Mirza.

The Case So Far

The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) had given the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) around Rs 112 crore during 2002 and 2011.

In 2003, Mirza was appointed as treasurer of the JKCA by Abdullah by allegedly flouting rules. Mirza was not elected to the post but Abdullah appointed him as treasurer through a resolution signed by him.

Abdullah has been accused of laundering money through Mirza. The ED had detected some suspicious transactions showing funds of JKCA were illegally transferred into the account of Mirza.

The ED learnt in the investigation that Mirza with the help of other officers bearers misappropriated Rs 51.90 crore from JKCA's fund. He spent this into repaying his business associates and spending on personal things.

ED Attaches Properties

Earlier, the ED had attached properties of Abdullah, Mirza, and his aide Manzoor Ghazanfar.

"Assets worth Rs 14.32 crore had already been attached by the ED in the case which includes properties worth Rs 11.86 crore of Abdullah," an ED official said.

Ghazanfar was elected treasurer in 2007 and he detected the alleged fraud. He told Abdullah about the illegal transaction but the latter allegedly kept mum on the matter.

The ED also learnt that at the instruction of Abdullah, Ghazanfar signed a few cheques which were deposited into the accounts belonging to Mirza.

The agency initiated PMLA probe in the matter on the basis of the CBI's FIR and charge sheet filed in 2019.

The ED has learnt that Mirza opened several accounts in J&K Bank on the basis of fake documents as per alleged instructions of Abdullah and laundered funds. Mirza was made the cheque signatory of JKCA by Abdullah.

The ED has already filed a charge sheet in the matter.

The CBI had claimed in the charge sheet that funds of Rs 43 crore of JKCA were misappropriated by the accused.