Mehbooba Mufti to appear for questioning before ED

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti would appear before Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Srinagar for questioning in a money laundering case on Thursday.

Sources told that Mehbooba would be appearing in ED’s Srinagar office tomorrow to face questioning in the money laundering case. “She had shown her reluctance to go to Delhi and requested the ED officials to question her in Srinagar and not in Delhi. Her request was accepted and now ED officials have arranged for her questioning in Srinagar tomorrow,” they said.

The ED had served notice to Mehbooba to appear at ED’s headquarters in New Delhi for questioning on March 22 after Delhi HC on March 19 refused to stay summons issued to her by the central agency.

However, the PDP chief had not travelled to Delhi on March 22 for questioning saying that she had prior commitments that cannot be cancelled.

On March 5 this year, ED had summoned Mehbooba for questioning in a money laundering case in New Delhi on March 15. The ED has filed a case against Mehbooba under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The summon had warned that in case she fails to give evidence as mentioned in the Schedule, she shall be liable to penal proceedings  under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (15 of 2003). After receiving the ED summons, Mehbooba had alleged that Centre’s tactics to intimidate and browbeat political opponents won’t work.