Farooq Abdullah gets passport relief in JKCA scam, court eases travel curbs
Jammu: In a major relief for National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, a Srinagar court issued a No Objection Certificate (NoC) for the renewal of his passport in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) funds misappropriation case.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Additional Sessions Judge Farooq Ahmad Bhat directed the Regional Passport Officer, Srinagar, to renew Farooq Abdullah’s passport for one year, subject to the condition that he is not involved in any other criminal case. However, the court made it clear that Farooq Abdullah cannot travel outside Jammu and Kashmir or abroad without prior permission from the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Srinagar.
The order came while disposing of Farooq Abdullah’s petition seeking renewal of his passport after the Regional Passport Office sought either an acquittal order or a No Objection Certificate following an adverse police verification report linked to FIR No. 27/2012.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed the plea, arguing that Farooq Abdullah is facing prosecution in a serious corruption case involving the alleged misappropriation of JKCA funds and expressing apprehension that the issuance of a passport could enable him to evade trial.
The court, however, observed that the mere pendency of a criminal case is not an absolute bar to the issuance or renewal of a passport.
The JKCA scam pertains to the misappropriation of Rs 43.69 crore out of Rs 113 crore released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to the association between 2006 and 2012 for the promotion of cricket in Jammu and Kashmir.
