Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 11: The Division Bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court today summoned Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) president and former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, in multi-crore JKCA scam.
The Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Chief Justice N P Vasantha Kumar and Justice D S Thakur, after hearing both counsels representing petitioners as well as investigating agency issued notice to JKCA president Dr Farooq Abdullah for filing objections to the PIL where petitioners seek constitution of Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the scam.
During the course of arguments investigating officer, Superintendent of Police (SP) East, Harmeet Singh, and Additional Advocate General (AAG) B A Dar submitted before the court that they may be granted some time for filing of latest status report with regard to investigation into the scam as huge amount of Rs 113 crore have been misappropriated.
Counsel representing investigating agency Advocate Dar submitted that Government is very serious in investigating the matter and everything will be brought before the court as the matter involved serious allegations about the misappropriation of funds by the office bearers.
The Counsel also stated before the Court that case diary has been prepared and there are nine boxes of records pertaining to the scam which were totally submerged in the last year floods and they are being dried and retrieved. “We will update the court regarding investigation. There is serious allegations about Rs 113 crore of misappropriation of funds. It is not we are shielding the culprits,” Advocate Dar said before the court.
However, counsel representing petitioners submitted that the accused persons are still holding the office in the association and court questioned the state counsel about the ‘delay in investigation’ as already 6 months have lapsed after last year floods and state counsel requested for weeks time for the latest status report.
Court also issued notice to Saleem Khan, Ehsan Mirza and M L Nehru (Ex-members of JKCA) for providing them an opportunity of hearing. “It is deemed appropriate to issue notice to these respondents and afford them opportunity of hearing before passing any order”, court said.
Earlier, court had put on notice BCCI secretary, Chief Secretary of the State, Director General of Police and SSP Srinagar and ex-members of JKCA Saleem Khan, Ehsan Mirza, and M L Nehru for filing of their response in opposition to the PIL.
The PIL has been filed by the two persons namely Majid Yaqoob Dar and Nissar Ahmad Khan who remained to be the Ranji Trophy Player and Club Level Player respectively. They alleged that multi-crore embezzlement has been done by JKCA members.
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