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Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 5
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Ehsan Ahmad Mirza, a former treasurer of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), in a money laundering case.
Mirza, who was produced in a court here today, was sent on transit remand to Srinagar for further investigation in the case. He was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Sources said Mirza was arrested as he was not cooperating in the probe. The case relates to embezzlement and misappropriation of funds to the tune of more than Rs 43 crore given by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to the JKCA.
In July this year, the ED had also questioned former Chief Minister and former JKCA president Farooq Abdullah in the case at its zonal office in Chandigarh.
According to information, an FIR over the embezzlement of funds was registered at the Srinagar police station in 2012. But in 2015, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had transferred the case to the CBI. Last year, the CBI had filed a chargesheet against Abdullah, Mirza, the then JKCA general secretary Md Saleem Khan and J&K Bank Executive Bashir Ahmad Misgar under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code related to criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
As per the charge-sheet, the accused had allegedly siphoned off and misappropriated Rs 43.69 crore of Rs 112.33 crore grant given by the BCCI to the JKCA between 2002 and 2011 for the development of cricket facilities in the state.
Taking notice of the CBI chargesheet, the ED also looked into the money laundering issue and started investigation. Accordingly, Farooq Abdullah was summoned in July. The ED investigations revealed that Abdullah with the help of his close associates opened several accounts in the J&K Bank, including one in the name of Ahsan Mirza who was authorised to sign cheques.
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