E-Paper
JKCA scam case: Non-bailable warrant against Farooq Abdullah ‘recalled’
Abdullah’s counsel moved an plea seeking recall of the warrant as medical consultants of the former CM had advised him against any travel
A local court on Thursday recalled a non-bailable warrant hours after issuing it against former chief minister Farooq Abdullah in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) scam case, considering his condition following a murderous attack a day before.
The warrant was recalled after Abdullah’s counsel, Ishtiyaq Khan, moved an application seeking the recall of the warrant as medical consultants of the former chief minister had advised him against any travel after the life-threatening attack on him at Jammu last night, said people in the know of the matter.
Earlier in the day, a court in J&K had issued a non-bailable warrant against Abdullah in ₹113-crore JKCA financial irregularities case. Chief judicial magistrate Srinagar Tabassum had issued the warrants even as Abdullah failed to appear in court either in person or online.
“This file has come up for hearing today. Accused no. 3’s exemption filed on his behalf. Exemption not allowed and is rejected. Issue non-bailable warrant to accused no. 3 (Manzoor Gaznafar Ali). With respect to accused no. 5 (Dr Farooq Abdullah) exemption filed. Keeping into view the contents of the application the counsel for the accused was given an option to ensure the presence of the accused through virtual mode however counsel did not consent and stated that accused could neither physically nor via virtual mode appear before the court,” the CJM order said.
The magistrate also rejected Abdullah’s plea seeking an exemption from appearance before the court. “Application for exemption is rejected. The office is directed to issue NBW against accused no. 5. The rest of the accused are present. The file is listed for recording statement of the accused on March 30.”
The order further said that if any of the accused fails to appear before the court, appropriate orders shall follow. “With respect to the application filed by the bank, the CBI has already filed objections.”
CBI registered FIR in 2015
The allegations pertain to the period between 2005 and 2012, during Abdullah’s tenure as JKCA president. CBI registered its FIR in 2015 following J&K high court orders, alleging a criminal conspiracy to misappropriate funds provided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
ED, which launched its own money-laundering probe, has previously accused the 86-year-old former CM of misusing his position to facilitate the laundering of funds.
ED questioned Abdullah on two occasions in 2019 and 2020. In December 2020, it attached residential and commercial properties of Abdullah worth nearly ₹12 crore. Between 2021 and 2022, ED filed its first and supplementary chargesheets, alleging Abdullah was aware of the fund transfers but failed to inform the working committee.
In 2021, ED filed its first chargesheet against former JKCA treasurer Ahsan Ahmad Mirza and other former office-bearers in the case.
The National Conference has repeatedly termed the investigation a political vendetta by the Centre, linking the timing of the probes to Abdullah’s vocal opposition to the revocation of Article 370. Abdullah has also moved the high court against the property attachments, asserting the assets were ancestral or acquired long before the alleged scam occurred.
