National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was on Thursday questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir Bank money laundering case, reported NDTV.
The development came shortly after the central agency booked Jammu and Kashmir Bank chairperson Mushtaq Ahmad Shaikh and 18 others for issuing loans without tangible security and based on fake documents, resulting in over Rs 800 crore loss to the lender, reported PTI.
The Enforcement Directorate has initiated a probe against Abdullah under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, NDTV reported.
The case is related to a purchase of a building by the Jammu and Kashmir Bank around 12 years ago, PTI reported.
“They [Enforcement Directorate] did not accuse me of anything,” said Abdullah, according to ANI. “They called me for questioning in connection with an ongoing investigation of a 12-13-yr-old case. I answered them as much as I could. I will further help them if they need me.”
‘Fishing expedition’
Abdullah’s party, the Jammu Kashmir National Conference, in a statement shared on Twitter said that he is fully cooperating with the Enforcement Directorate.
“Even though this exercise is political in nature he will cooperate as there is no wrongdoing on his part,” said the party. “The central government has made a habit of misusing investigative agencies, and this is another step in the same direction.”
It added that no leaders opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party have been spared from inquiry of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Investigation Agency and the Narcotics Control Bureau.
“There was a time when elections were announced by the EC [Election Commission] but now it seems that the elections are announced by the ED,” the statement said. “Over recent years we have seen that wherever state elections are due, agencies like the ED move in and target those parties that pose a challenge to the BJP.”
The National Conference also said that the summons to Abdullah were a vilification campaign that started before August 5, 2019, when the state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories.
“We have no doubt that this fishing expedition will yield no concrete results to the BJP and the people will give a ringing endorsement to the National Conference as and when required,” the National Conference said.
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