Properties largely ancestral: Omar
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Dec 19: In a major breakthrough in multi-crore Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today attached the property of National Conference president and former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, worth Rs 12 crore.
The ED said that in connection with laundering of funds of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) Enforcement Directorate has attached, under PMLA, properties of Dr Farooq Abdullah valued around Rs. 11.86 Crores.
The attached properties include three residential houses, one at Gupkar Road, Srinagar; one at Tehsil Katipora, Tangmarg, and one at Bhatindi, village Sunjwan in Jammu and commercial buildings at posh Residency Road area of Srinagar.
The ED has also attached lands at four different places in J&K. The ED said that the properties of Abdullah at Gupkar Road and commercial buildings at Residency Road, at prime upmarket locations, are basically State lands obtained on lease. “The attached house at Bhatindi, village Sunjwan Jammu had been constructed by Dr. Farooq Abdullah on State land and Forest land, where he has also grabbed State land and Forest land”, the ED statement said.
The ED statement said that between 2005 – 2006 to December 2011, JKCA received funding to the tune of Rs 109.78 crore from the BCCI.
“Between years 2006 to January 2012, when Dr Farooq Abdullah was the president of JKCA, he misused his position and clout by illegal appointments of office bearers at JKCA to whom he gave financial powers for the purpose of laundering of JKCA Funds. Investigation clearly brings out that Dr Farooq Abdullah was instrumental as well as beneficiary of the laundered funds of JKCA,” the statement said.
“Despite existing regular bank account of JKCA, six new bank accounts were opened for parking of JKCA Funds and siphoning of the same.
One dormant bank account in the name of Kashmir Wing of JKCA was also made operational for the same purpose”, the ED statement said.
The ED statement further said that during investigations so far it has surfaced that JKCA funds to the tune of more than Rs. 45 crores has been siphoned, which includes heavy cash withdrawals of around Rs 25 crores, with no corresponding justification.
“Investigations disclose that for the purpose of generation of proceeds of crime, JKCA funds were layered by way of complex interbank transfers in all the bank accounts of JKCA and also by transfer to several personal bank accounts, followed by siphoning of the funds,” the ED statement said.
Former Chief Minister and son of Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah reacted on twitter in a series of tweets. “Properties attached are largely ancestral dating from the 1970s with the most recent one built before 2003. My father has seen the media reports regarding attachment of his properties in the ongoing investigation in to the JKCA matter.
Not surprisingly the media was tipped off regarding the seizure before he had received any official notice or documentation,” Omar tweeted.
Omar further tweeted: “The properties attached are largely ancestral dating from the 1970s with the most recent one built before 2003.
There can be no justification for the seizures because they fail the very basic test of having been acquired as the proceeds of the “crime” being investigated”, he tweeted.
“Dr Abdullah is in touch with his lawyers & will fight all these baseless charges in the one place that matters – a court of law, where everyone is presumed to be innocent & is entitled to a fair trial unlike in the court of the media or the court of BJP managed social media”, he tweeted.
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