Srinagar, Mar 6: A Srinagar court has ruled there’s enough evidence to frame charges against former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah and others in the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) funds scam. Chief Judicial Magistrate Tabasum’s order, dated March 2, 2026, finds prima facie cases of criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B), criminal breach of trust (Sections 406 and 409) under the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
The case involves alleged financial irregularities and fund misappropriation at JKCA. Two accused have already turned approvers after receiving pardons.
The court rejected the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) bid to add more charges, saying ED lacks standing in a case handled by another agency. It stressed ED can only step in if a “predicate offence” under PMLA exists with crime proceeds—something not shown in the charge sheet. The application was also called vague, inconsistently citing laws (even repealed IPC sections post-July 1, 2024), and reliant on assumptions rather than facts.
Citing precedents, the judge reaffirmed PMLA authorities can’t proceed without proof of a scheduled offence.
Discharge pleas from the accused were dismissed too—there’s solid material proving the core offences. The case now moves to charge framing, followed by recording approvers’ statements. If they backtrack, further orders will follow.
