JK cricket association scam: High Court seeks Farooq Abdullah's response

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday sought response from former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in alleged multi-crore scam in the state's cricket association.

The court has also asked the J and K Police, which is probing the case, to submit a status report. A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice D S Thakur issued a notice to Abdullah in his capacity as the President of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) on a PIL filed by a former state Ranji team player Majid Yaqoob Dar and club cricketer Nisar Ahmad Khan.

The court also directed the investigating agency to file a proper status report by or before next date of hearing fixed for May 19. The petitioners have alleged that crores of rupees were swindled by the office-bearers of the JKCA who used it for personal gains instead of promoting the game in the state.

J and K Police, which is probing the case, had registered a case in March 2012 against two former officials of JKCA following allegations of misappropriation of funds, received by the body from the BCCI.

The case was registered against the then treasurer Ehsan Mirza and then General Secretary Mohammad Saleem Khan based on the complaint lodged by JKCA chairman Mohammad Aslam Goni.

Farooq Abdullah had termed the allegation of his involvement in the case as "unfortunate". "I have not taken a penny in any form from JKCA. There is no question of any money being bungled. The tarnishing of my image is unfortunate," he had told reporters in Delhi after registration of the case in 2012.