Dr Farooq Abdullah pleads ‘not guilty’ in JKCA case before court

Srinagar: Former CM and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Monday appeared before a court in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) case and pleaded “not guilty” after the charges were read out to him.According to special public prosecutor Farhat Zia, Farooq appeared through virtual mode before the chief judicial magistrate. The case has been listed for prosecution evidence on April 30.On March 5, the CJM had rejected the former CM’s plea for exemption from personal appearance in the case.In 2018, the CBI charge-sheeted Farooq and others for allegedly siphoning off Rs 43 crore from grants provided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India to the JKCA between 2002 and 2011, when he was serving as president of the JKCA.In its chargesheet, the CBI named Farooq and three others — the then JKCA general secretary Mohammad Saleem Khan, former treasurer Ahsan Ahmad Mirza and J&K Bank executive Bashir Ahmad Misgar.