Documents allegedly link Farooq Abdullah to J&K cricket scam

Srinagar:  Amidst allegations of his complicity in what is being called as the Jammu & Kashmir cricket scam, Union Minister and senior National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah today denied that there was "any embezzlement of funds." NDTV has, in its possession, documents that purportedly show that Mr Abdullah, who also heads the J&K Cricket Association (JKCA), recommended a loan of almost Rs. 2 crore in favour of his close aide Ehsan Mirza, who has been sacked on charges of embezzlement.

The documents comprise copies of bank account statements and a letter purportedly signed by Mr Abdullah recommending that Mr Mirza, a former treasurer of the state's cricket association, be given a loan of Rs. 1.90 crore against deposits of the cricket association at the Khanyar Branch of J&K Bank. The account in this branch is allegedly one of the many bogus accounts being operated from four banks by Mr Mirza. Most of the money, which had been sent by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the promotion of the sport in the state, was landing in the 'shadow' accounts of the cricket association.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Abdullah clarified that Mr Mirza had extended an interest-free loan to the cricket association during the time its accounts had been sealed by the courts. It was this amount, to the tune of Rs. 1.91 crore, which was cleared by the association through a resolution to pay back Mr Mirza. "I have never taken a penny from the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association in any form," he said.

Mr Mirza is accused of defrauding the association of over Rs. 30 crore after allegedly opening bogus bank accounts on its behalf. The money was meant for promoting cricket in the state. Mr Mirza has since been sacked and an FIR has been registered against him and another office-bearer of the association.

Mr Abdullah's clarification comes after the main opposition party in the state, PDP, today demanded an FIR against Mr Abdullah and a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the scam. Raising the issue in the state Assembly today, PDP leader Mehooba Mufti said, "Every young man in the state wants to play cricket, wants to be Sachin Tendulkar. We have several crores available in the JKCA, which is headed by Farooq Abdullah. Money from the association is being embezzled."

In response, Mr Abdullah said, "I'm too clean for Mehbooba Mufti to rub dirt on me," adding that the "law will take its own course". But despite his clarifications, questions are being  raised as to how he could recommend the loan against the JKCA deposits in a bank running a 'shadow' account.

It was Mr Abdullah's political advisor, Mohd Aslam Gone, who had recently told reporters about the alleged embezzlement and had accused Mr Mirza of executing the scam. Farooq Abdullah's National Conference rules Jammu and Kashmir and his son Omar Abdullah is the chief minister of the state.

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