SRINAGAR, Aug 27: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah did not appear before the court in a money laundering case related to the alleged financial irregularities in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) here on Saturday due to “health issues”.
As the case, before the court of Principal District and Sessions Judge, Srinagar, was called, Abdullah’s lawyer Ishtiyaq Ahmad Khan said the NC chief is not able to attend the court due to health issues.
The judge told Khan that Abdullah should be present in the court on the next date of hearing, which is listed on September 26. The lawyer assured it that the former J-K Chief Minister will attend that hearing.
The court had on July 23 issued summons to Abdullah on a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against him and others in the JKCA money laundering case.
Abdullah, the Member of Parliament from Srinagar, has been questioned multiple times by the agency in this case.
He was the JKCA president from 2001 to 2012 and the “scam” being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED is about alleged financial misappropriation between 2004 and 2009.
The ED has attached properties worth over Rs 21 crore in the case already. This includes Rs 11.86 crore of immovable assets belonging to Abdullah.
The ED claimed that its probe so far has “revealed that Ahsan Ahmad Mirza (former treasurer, JKCA) in connivance with other office-bearers of the JKCA, had misappropriated JKCA funds to the tune of Rs 51.90 crore and utilised proceeds of crime for settling his personal and business liabilities”.
The agency initiated the money laundering probe against the JKCA office-bearers on the basis of a case registered at the Rammunshi Bagh police station in Srinagar.
The case was later transferred to the CBI on the high court’s directions.
The CBI has filed a chargesheet in the case against the former JKCA office-bearers for misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 43.69 crore. (AGENCIES)

Jammu, Aug 27: Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is all set to launch his own party and its first unit would come up in Jammu and Kashmir within a fortnight, his close confidant G M Saroori said on Saturday.
Saroori asserted that the restoration of the pre-August 5, 2019 position of Jammu and Kashmir will be part of the party’s manifesto.
A former minister who was among several prominent Congress leaders of Jammu and Kashmir who resigned from the basic membership of the party in support of Azad, Saroori said their leader was ideologically secular and there was no question of him working at the behest of the BJP.
He also claimed that hundreds of senior Congress leaders, Panchayati Raj Institution members and prominent workers have tendered their resignations after the former chief minister ended his over five-decade-long association with the national party.
“Azad is coming to Jammu on September 4 to hold consultations with his well-wishers before the launch of our new party,” Saroori, a former vice-president of the J-K unit of the Congress, said.
Hours after his resignation on Friday, Azad said he would launch a new party soon and that its first unit would be set up in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I am in no hurry as of now to launch a national party but keeping in mind that elections are likely to be held in Jammu and Kashmir, I have decided to launch a unit there soon,” Azad, who hails from the Bhaderwah township of Doda district, had told news agency on Friday night.
Saroori, who along with several former legislators met with Azad in New Delhi on Friday to extend their support, said the veteran politician was going to announce the launch of the party within the next fortnight.
“We are happy that he is returning to J-K where he served as chief minister (from November 2, 2005 to July 11, 2008). People view his rule as a golden era and want him back to pull out Jammu and Kashmir from the present situation,” he said, adding that his support base is spread across Jammu and Kashmir.
Saroori said the new party would focus on development, unity among all sections of the society, and would struggle for restoration of the pre-August 5, 2019 position.
On August 5, 2019, the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union territories.
Saroori said the Congress is almost finished in Jammu and Kashmir with the departure of Azad.
“There is a beeline of leaders (from J-K) coming to meet with Azad to extend their support. We have received hundreds of resignation letters from PRI members, including district and block development council members, and several municipal corporators,” he said.
Over a dozen leaders, including several former ministers and legislators, resigned from the basic membership of the Congress in support of Azad and many more such as former deputy chief minister Tara Chand are likely to resign after meeting with Azad in New Delhi on Saturday.
Referring to the statement of the Congress accusing Azad of “collaboration” with the BJP after his resignation, Saroori said those criticising him were shutting their eyes to the ground realities or were finding the earth beneath their feet slipping away.
“He is a secular leader who worked to strengthen the Congress over the past five decades. In fact, all of us have given our blood and sweat, but how can you stay back in a party which is insulting and humiliating you,” he asked, blaming the Congress leadership for compelling them to take such a decision. (Agencies)

Srinagar, Aug 27: Army on Saturday rescued a Hungarian trekker who had lost his way in Umasi La Pass in Himalayan Ranges from Dul area of Kishtwar.

Umasi La connects Kisthwar to Zanskar and it was not immediately known if the trekker was lost in Ladakh, news agency GNS reported.

“Indian Army team from Dul, Kishtwar, in a 30 hour search operation tracked and rescued a Hungarian National who lost his way in Umasila Pass in Himalayan Ranges while trekking,” army said in a tweet.

He was airlifted to Udhampur by Indian AirForce for treatment.