New Delhi, Feb 29 The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday attached assets worth Rs 2.6 crore of two persons in a case pertaining to misappropriation and laundering of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) funds.
The investigating agency attached immovable properties of Ahmad Mirza and Mir Manzoor Gazanffer and initiated a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) on the basis of a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Earlier, CBI had filed a charge sheet against them and others, including former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, "for misappropriation of JKCA funds amounting to Rs 43.69 crore by the accused office-bearers of JKCA in criminal conspiracy."
The ED investigation later revealed that during financial years 2005-2006 to 2011-2012, JKCA received Rs 94.06 crore from BCCI.
"These funds were received in three different bank accounts of JKCA. However, several other bank accounts were opened in the name of JKCA into which these funds were transferred. Such other bank accounts along with the existing bank accounts were later used for laundering funds of JKCA," the statement said.
Out of the laundered amounts, Rs 1.31 crore was received by Mir Manzoor Gazanffer, who was member of a Finance Committee of JKCA, between 2006 and 2009, which was arbitrarily constituted by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the then President of JKCA, it added.
"In the JKCA elections held in year 2011, Ahsan Ahmad Mirza was elected as the General Secretary of JKCA and Dr Farooq Abdullah was elected as President of JKCA. Investigation under PMLA revealed that during this period, funds of JKCA were continuously laundered."
( With inputs from IANS )