The Enforcement Directorate has filed a supplementary chargesheet against former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and others in connection with the alleged embezzlement of the State cricket association’s funds.
Taking cognisance of the charges, a special court has issued notices for them to appear before it on August 27. Among those arraigned are former J&K Cricket Association treasurer Ahsan Ahmad Mirza, and Mir Manzoor Gazanffer, who had been a member of its finance committee from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Abdullah was the Association’s president during the check period.
In the same case, the ED had earlier issued three orders for the attachment of assets worth about ₹21.55 crores belonging to Mr. Abdullah, Mr. Mirza, Mr. Gazanffer and a company named Mirza Sons. The agency alleged that the Association’s funds were transferred to various personal bank accounts; unexplained cash withdrawals from its accounts were also made.
The money laundering probe is based on a First Information Report registered in September 2015 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the then office-bearers of the Association. On July 11, 2018, the CBI submitted a chargesheet against six persons based on its findings, which showed a wrongful gain of about ₹43.69 crores.
“The quantum of proceeds of crime identified in the case so far is ₹51.90 crore, of which assets worth ₹21.55 crores have been attached,” said the ED, which had arrested Mr. Mirza in September 2019.
