ED grills Farooq Abdullah in cricket association scam

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for hours on Wednesday at the central agency’s office in Chandigarh.

He was quizzed in a case involving alleged misappropriation of the J&K cricket association funds. He was earlier questioned last year in connection with the case.

"ED questioning Farooq sahab at a time when J&K mainstream parties are collectively standing up to protect its unique identity raises suspicions and questions," tweeted former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

The probe by the enforcement directorate is based on a FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2015 alleging a multi-crore scam. The CBI has filed a charge sheet in the case against Farooq Abdullah and three others. The controversy dates back to 2011 when contracts were given to private company for developing sports infrastructure and funds were allegedly manipulated for wrongful gains. Abdullah was the president of the cricket association then.