Overview
- In a March 2 order, the Chief Judicial Magistrate found prima facie offences of criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust under RPC sections 120-B, 406 and 409 against Abdullah and other accused.
- The matter is listed for March 12 for formal framing of charges, after which statements of two pardoned accused, Gazanfar Ali and Gulzar Ahmad Beigh, will be recorded as evidence.
- The court dismissed the ED application for lack of locus standi, noting the CBI is the investigating and prosecuting agency and its charge sheet does not specify any scheduled offence required to trigger PMLA action.
- The order criticized the ED plea as vague and pointed out it sought to invoke IPC provisions that were repealed effective July 1, 2024 and are not applicable in this case.
- Background filings state the CBI’s 2018 charge sheet alleges about ₹43 crore was siphoned from BCCI grants to the JKCA between 2002 and 2011 out of roughly ₹112–113 crore in grants, while the ED has pursued a separate money‑laundering probe and property attachments.