JKCA ‘scam’: HC rejects ED plea to add charges

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir high court Friday rejected an Enforcement Directorate‘s petition that challenged a Srinagar CJM court’s order denying permission to add charges related to the receipt and concealment of stolen property in the alleged Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) fund scam.Justice Sanjay Parihar held that ED’s prayer for invoking sections 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) and 424 (dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property) of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) lacked merit based on the material currently available.However, the HC set aside the trial court’s reasoning that ED lacked a “locus standi“ to move such an application.The case dates to the period between 2002 and 2011, when BCCI granted Rs 94.06 crore to JKCA. A CBI probe found that Rs 43.69 crore was misappropriated by the then office-bearers of JKCA.ED argued that although CBI filed the primary chargesheet under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) of RPC, the material gathered during the money-laundering probe disclosed sufficient grounds to frame charges for receiving and concealing stolen property as well.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.