Mehbooba Mufti moves Delhi HC, seeks quashing of ED summon in money laundering case

Days after claiming political vendetta, former Jammu & Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti has approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the summons by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The central agency had summoned Mufti on March 15, in connection with a money laundering case. Following the ED summon, Mehbooba Mufti had accused the Centre of strongarming central agencies against political opponents. 

Reacting to the summon sent Mufti, NC chief Farooq Abdullah echoed similar views as he accused the Centre for engaging in 'political vendetta'. Criticizing the ED summons, Farooq Abdullah, who is also the chairperson for the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration said that 'political vendetta' would not help in improving the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

READ | ED Summons PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti On March 15 In Alleged Money-laundering Case

Prior to Mufti's summon, the Enforcement Directorate in December last year had raised the premises of her close aide Anjum Fazili, in connection with a financial fraud at the J&K bank. The central agency had then seized Rs 28 lakhs in cash from Fazili's premises. The searches were conducted at the residences of the former PDP MLA in Srinagar and Delhi. The ED has also questioned former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah in an alleged money laundering case and had attached his properties worth nearly Rs 12 crores. In response, the NC chief had moved the J&K High Court against the attachment of his properties in the money laundering case. 

READ | 'Political Vendetta Will Not Improve Situation In J&K': Farooq Slams ED Summons To Mufti

Mufti writes to ED director

Following ED's crackdown on money laundering in Jammu & Kashmir, Mufti had alleged that the agency's action was a 'witch hunt' against her. The PDP chief had written to the ED Director alleging that the use of the central agency against political opponents is not an 'unknown device' for the party in power at the Centre. Asserting that she was ready to face any questioning, Mufti demanded fairness in the process of investigation in her letter to the ED Director. 

READ | Mufti Responds To ED Summon, Reiterates Attack On Centre For Using Central Agencies

"The only common thread connecting these persons appears to be that they are all acquainted with me, my family, or my politics in one way or another. The questioning of these persons is also focused on myself, my personal, political and financial affairs, my late father’s grave and memorial, my sister’s finances, home constructions, my brother’s finances and personal affairs, etc,” the letter after ED raids had read.

“If there is any breach of what I consider to be norms of law, good conduct, and constitutionalism, I shall not hesitate to take the matter up legally and politically,” she added in the letter to the ED director.

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