A bizarre attempt of obstructing the investigation process of Central Bureau of Investigation organization in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has lately come to light. Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association is affiliated with the BCCI. When the CBI found financial irregularities had happened in BCCI, it came to the conclusion that JKCA was also a beneficiary of the BCCI and had also to be probed since complaints of financial irregularities in JKCA had also come. In simpler words one may say that like BCCI the JKCA, too, has had its share of corruption and financial irregularities.
The reason why Jammu and Kashmir Police has withdrawn various facilities offered to the CBI branch like security, vehicles and even computers leaving the probing team of CBI denuded of all facilities is a matter of much concern… Apparently, J&K Police will have acted on the authority of orders and instructions from the Home Department. While the CBI was submitting its report to the Division Bench of the State High Court dealing with the case, it made the complaint of its work being obstructed owing to denial of access to logistical support. However, justifying its position the CBI asserted that almost 95 per cent of investigation into the case had been successfully completed and only 5 per cent of work was remaining. It further argued that it had to interrogate at least 75 persons and had to visit various places in the country.
Actually there are two aspects of the case as one finds from the facts. One is whether the CBI team is deliberately delaying submission of final reap rot or that it really has to be given sufficient time to do justice to its assignment. The second aspect is whether the police is justified in withdrawing the facilities it is supposed to offer to the team. We think that the Home Department or the Police have over reached their powers by unilaterally withdrawing logistical support to the investigating team. Withdrawing facilities without warning and proper notice is tantamount to arbitrary exercise of powers and that is illegal.
Information that has trickled down from the CBI sources in respect of the investigation it has held so far, it is learnt that the BCCI has provided Rs. 1,12,33,04,618 (approx) to JKCA during April 2002 to 31.12.11 as annual grants. But the remittances were not available because almost all record was destroyed in the floods of 2014. However, the CBI has collected data from banks and a picture has been drawn of the payments made by the JKCA. It has further transpired from the investigation that huge amounts have been transferred from the accounts of JKCA to the accounts of different individuals, who were either office bearers of JKCA or having no connection with the JKCA during the relevant period.
What the report conveys so far is that huge amounts have been transferred to the accounts of individuals not concerned with the JKCA or to the office bearers of the Association. It has also come to light that some banks accounts were clandestinely opened by some of the office bearers of the Association to which money was transferred. Everybody knows that the office bearers of this Association are influential and well connected people. Obviously they must be upset with the findings of the CBI and would like to obstruct their work. One can presume that withdrawal of logistic facilities from the CBI must have something to do with the manipulations of influential persons in the Association. In the fitness of things the CBI has to be provided time and facilities to bring its investigation to a conclusion so that the case is decided by the High Court in the light of the facts that are revealed by CBI. Nobody should be allowed to take law into his hands.
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