Tue Sep 10 16:36:49 UTC 2024: ## ED Seeks Fresh Charges Against Farooq Abdullah in JKCA Money Laundering Case
Srinagar, [Date]: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed an application in a Srinagar court seeking the addition of two new criminal charges against former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and others in the JKCA money laundering case.
The move comes after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court quashed the ED’s case and charge sheet last month, stating that the offence of money laundering was not established. However, the court permitted the ED to present its case before a local court for the addition of fresh charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The ED, in its recent application, stated that the CBI had inadvertently failed to include charges under Sections 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) and 424 (dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property) in the original charge sheet.
The agency is seeking to frame fresh charges against Abdullah and others under these two sections, arguing that the Srinagar court has the power under CrPC Section 216 to add or amend charges in the interest of justice.
The ED’s case is based on a 2018 charge sheet filed by the CBI, which alleged the misappropriation of Rs 43.69 crore from the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) funds. These funds were received as grants from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) between 2002 and 2011.
Farooq Abdullah, the president of the National Conference, has been questioned multiple times by the ED in this case. The agency had earlier attached assets worth Rs 21.55 crore belonging to Abdullah and others.
The development comes amidst the ongoing assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, with Abdullah’s party, the National Conference, vying for power along with other political parties.
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