Money laundering case: Mehbooba appears before ED in Srinagar

Mehbooba Mufti had earlier denied appearing before the agency in Delhi citing that she had prior commitments that could not be cancelled.

Srinagar: PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate at its office here in a money laundering case.

She had earlier denied appearing before the agency in Delhi citing that she had prior commitments that could not be cancelled.

The 61-year-old leader, who was released last year after more than a year in detention following the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, was served a notice to appear at ED's headquarters in the national capital.

On March 19, the Delhi High Court had refused to stay summons issued to her after she moved the court seeking quashing of the summons in the case.

The ED, which had earlier summoned Mehbooba on March 15, had not insisted on her personal appearance at that time.

Mufti said in a letter to the ED, “I write to you in reference to the summons issued to me to be present at your Delhi office on March 22. I have challenged in the Delhi High Court the constitutional vires of Section 50 of the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), under which these summons are issued.”

The PDP leader said that without prejudice to any of the contentions in the proceedings before the high court “I state that I am not in a position to attend the summon on 22nd March as I have prior commitments that cannot be cancelled at such short notice”.

“If however you insist we must do it sooner, I am ready and willing to be questioned in Srinagar, preferably at my residence or through video conference from Srinagar,” Mehbooba said in her letter.