Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association Case: Why Is Farooq Abdullah Questioned by ED? Know What Is JKCA Scam

Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association Case: Omar Abdullah has termed the ED summons to Farooq Abdullah as political vendetta after the formation of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration.

Photo Courtesy: PTI

Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association Case: National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah was on Monday quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering probe in a case related to the alleged fraud of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association funds. The alleged misappropriation of over Rs 43 crores took place when he was the chairman of J&K Cricket Association. Omar Abdullah said that the National Conference will be responding to Enforcement Directorate summons. He said no raids are being conducted at Farooq Abdullah's residence. "This is nothing less then political vendetta coming days after the formation of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration. To set the record straight no raids are being conducted at Dr Sahib's residence," he tweeted.

The party will be responding to this ED summons shortly. This is nothing less then political vendetta coming days after the formation of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration. To set the record straight no raids are being conducted at Dr Sahib’s residence.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 19, 2020

What is the J&K Cricket Embezzlement  scam? Between the years 2011 and 2012, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had given multi crore fund for promotion of cricket in Jammu and Kashmir to JKCA. It is alleged that there has been an embezzlement of Rs 46.3 crore by the accused. In 2015, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by two cricketers- Majid Yaqoob Dar and Nissar Ahmad Khan - into the alleged scam in the JKCA which was then headed by Farooq Abdullah, that had surfaced in 2012, following which the account of the JKCA remained frozen. The case then went to the CBI. The ED case is based on an FIR filed by the CBI, which booked former JKCA office-bearers, including general secretary Mohammed Saleem Khan and former treasurer Ahsan Ahmad Mirza. The CBI later filed a chargesheet against Abdullah, Khan, Mirza as well as Mir Manzoor Gazanffer Ali, Bashir Ahmad Misgar and Gulzar Ahmad Beigh (former accountant of JKCA) for the "misappropriation of JKCA funds amounting to Rs 43.69 crore" from grants given by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to promote the sport in the state between 2002-11. The ED said its probe found that JKCA received Rs 94.06 crore from BCCI in three different bank accounts during financial years 2005 2006 to 2011 2012 (up to December 2011).