Mehbooba denies going to Delhi for interrogation, demands ED to send team or 'do it on VC'

Former Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti has written to Enforcement Directorate (ED) stating that she won’t be able to appear in New Delhi. The letter was written by her on the day she was to appear at the Delhi Office of ED after the Delhi High Court refused to stay the summoned issued to her.

ED, on 5th March, issued Mehbooba summon to appear before the agency on March 15, 2021, after which she moved to Delhi High Court challenging the summon issued to her. But after dismissal by High Court, she was to appear at New Delhi ED Office on March 22, 2021. 

Requests to be questioned in Srinagar 

A letter in this regard was written by Mehbooba to ED reads, “I write to you in reference to the summons issued to me to be present at your Delhi office on 22.03.2021. I have challenged in the Delhi High Court the constitutional vires of Section 50 of the PMLA, under which these summonses are issued. Without prejudice to any of the contentions in the proceedings before the High Court,  I state that I am not in a position to attend the summon on 22nd March as I have prior commitments that cannot be cancelled at such short notice. If however, you insist we must do it sooner, I am ready and willing to be questioned in Srinagar, preferably at my residence or through video conference from Srinagar,”.

“Also, kindly send the necessary material and documentation that will enable me to assess as to the subject matter of the summons. I am completely in the dark as to what this summons is about and what the scheduled offence is that has given rise to these proceedings. In the event that you are unable to accede to one or more of these requests, I urge you to pass reasoned orders in respect of such requests,” the letter further read.

Mehbooba also writes, ”I reiterate that my response to the summons does not in any manner mean that I accept its legality or that I have waived any of my contentions on the vires of Section 50 PMLA or the summons sent to me purportedly under that provision or any objections I may have in law to the use of any statement in that regard”.