CBI files chargesheet in cricket scam against Dr Farooq, 3 others in Srinagar

Srinagar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed charge-sheet in a local court against former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and three others in multi crore cricket scam in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
The Investigation Agency could not file the chargesheet as the accused were not present on July 12 when Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) directed that the accused must be present in the court at the time of filing chargesheet. The CBI had summoned all the accused to remain present in the court on July 12 when Dr Abdullah, who was president of the JKCA, was out of country.
The case pertained to alleged embezzlement of over 112 crore at the JKCA in 2012. The Board of Cricket Council of India (BCCI) had transferred a total amount of over Rs 112 crore to JKCA from April 2002 to December 31, 2011 which was allegedly embezzled. The High Court on March 9 last year had handed over the probe to the CBI, observing that the police investigation lacked both speed and credibility. The court had asked the CBI to bring the investigation to a logical conclusion, preferablywithin six months.
The court provided the rationale for handing over the probe to the CBI and not to the J&K Crime Branch, as sought by advocate Mian Qayoom, counsel for the petitioners Majid Yaqoob Dar and Nissar Ahmad Khan two cricketers from Kashmir. CBI has also questioned Dr Abdullah in this connection in January this year.