Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Wednesday quashed the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) charge sheet against former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, along with several others, in a high-profile money laundering case involving the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
The court’s decision came after it found that no predicate offence had been established against the accused, leading to the dismissal of the ED’s charge sheet and supplementary filings. The ED had originally pursued the case based on allegations of financial irregularities within the JKCA.
In addition to Abdullah, the ED had named Ahsan Ahmad Mirza, who served as the JKCA treasurer at the time, former treasurer Mir Manzoor Gazanfar, and several others in its charge sheet. These individuals subsequently petitioned the High Court to quash the charges. Dr Abdullah, who is also the chief of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), has been questioned multiple times by the ED in connection with the case. The agency also attached assets worth Rs 21.55 crore belonging to Abdullah and others involved in the case.
Mirza was arrested by the ED in September 2019, and a charge sheet was filed against him two months later. The trial in that case is still ongoing. Shariq Reyaz, the lawyer representing Mirza and Gazanfar, argued that the ED lacked jurisdiction in the matter, leading to the request for the quashing of the charge sheets against his clients.
Following the August 7 hearing, the court reserved its judgment, which was delivered on Wednesday. The ED was represented virtually by Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju. Reyaz confirmed that the court accepted their argument that no predicate offence had been established, rendering the ED's jurisdiction invalid.