India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly summoned Farooq Abdullah on Thursday on allegations of misappropriation of funds from the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
Farooq Abdullah is the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The ED had provisionally attached a residential property worth Rs 7.25 Crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, related to an investigation against JKCA office bearers in 2022. A chargesheet was filed, alleging misappropriation of INR 43.69 crore. The investigation reportedly revealed that JKCA treasurer Ahsan Ahmad Mirza and others misappropriated funds amounting to INR 51.90 crore. Earlier, properties worth INR 14.32 crore were attached, confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority. A prosecution complaint against Mirza was filed in the Special PMLA Court, and he was arrested. As per the press release, the trial commenced in March 2022.
In 2019, Jammu and Kashmir underwent a significant change in its status: its special autonomy, granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, was revoked through a presidential order. Consequently, it ceased to exist as a state and was reorganized into two Union Territories: ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ and ‘Ladakh’. In India, a Union Territory is a region directly governed by the central government, lacking the autonomy and legislative powers granted to states, typically established for reasons of strategic, administrative, or historical significance. This move aimed to integrate the region more closely with the rest of India, bringing uniformity in the application of laws.
In December 2023, the Indian Supreme Court upheld the 2019 decision, declaring Article 370 as temporary. The Court directed the Election Commission to hold Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections by September 30, 2024. It also recommended establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address alleged human rights abuses in the region.
There have been allegations by the opposition in India that the ruling government is abusing its power and harassing the opposition leaders by implicating them in false cases and conjuring up investigations in the run-up to the general elections to be held in April and May. These allegations are bolstered by the recent increase in activity by the ED against opposition leaders. Recently, ED officials were attacked in West Bengal. Salman Soz, an opposition leader, commented in Abdullah’s context that the “blatant targeting of opposition leaders will eventually backfire” and that the “real scandal” was an “undeserving person” leading the Board for Cricket Control in India, referring to Jay Shah, the son of Amit Shah, India’s Home Minister and a major proponent of the 2019 decision.
