Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 15: The trial court today started effective hearing in the infamous J&K Cricket Association (JKCA) multi-crore scam on framing of charges against the accused persons involved in the case and kept the matter for further hearing with regard to involvement of National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah.
The court of Principal District and Sessions Judge presided by Jawad Ahmad heard the case as the Investigation Officer of CBI was present in the court as he was previously directed and on asking by the court with regard to investigation, the said IO informed the court about the involvement of former General Secretary, Treasurer and Branch Manager for the misappropriation of funds provided by the BCCI to the JKCA.
The involvement of three other accused has remained unexplained as the court time was over and the IO submitted the court that apart from Farooq Abdullah other two accused have become approvers in the case and they are now prosecution witnesses and so for as the involvement of misappropriation of funds by Farooq Abdullah, the court asked the IO to explain his part on next date i.e July 6. Court is hearing the case as to whether the charges are held against the accused persons order they be discharged from the accusations of challan.
The IO at the very threshold of the hearing submitted to the court that the CBI has established as to how the funds transferred by BCI to JKCA accounts have been transferred to the personal accounts of the accused in the challan.
The IO informed the court that the BCI has transferred the amount to three accounts of JKCA in AIR Cargo, Zoonimar and Khanyar branches of the bank and the accused have managed to transfer the amount which is in crores to their personal accounts.
Court has been informed that when the misappropriation of funds surfaced as the audit was carried out and subsequently a committee was constituted in this regard and the accused agreed with the shortfall.
Court has further been apprised that apart from the swindled amount there were 34 FDRs of Rs 1 crore each with the JKCA which later have been recovered and utilized for the welfare of Association. When asked to IO as to how the allegation leveled are established, the IO submitted before the court that the treasurer of the JKCA was not elected but was given back door entry by accused-Abdullah till 2003 and it is in 2003 he was elected as treasurer of JKCA.
The counsel appearing for and on behalf of Abdullah refuted these submissions made by the IO and submitted to the court that facts are baseless and false as his client (Abdullah) has himself had initiated an in-house enquiry into the misappropriation of funds at the relevant point of time.
It has emerged during investigation that a total amount of Rs. 1,12,33,04,618 (approx) had been paid by the BCCI to JKCA during April 2002 to 31.12.11 as annual grants.
The investigation of the case was entrusted to the CBI by the High Court with the direction to conclude the investigation into the matter within six months. CBI has traced those accounts which have been opened clandestinely and operated by the then office bearers of JKCA for siphoning off the funds of JKCA as also money flow chart has been prepared.
In the charge sheet produced by the CBI before the trial court apart from other office bearers of JKCA, the name of National Conference President-Farooq Abdullah and the then office bearers of JK Cricket Association have been mentioned in the challan.
The court today has also heard the challan with regard to money laundering of JKCA amount which was registered after the challan filed by the CBI. The challan of money laundering reveals as to how the JKCA misappropriated money has been laundered in various accounts.
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