Mehbooba Mufti appears before Enforcement Directorate in Srinagar in money laundering case, questioned for five hours

PDP president Mehbooba mufti at the Enforcement Directorate’s zonal office in Srinagar on March 25.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appeared before the Enforcement Department (ED) on March 25 in Srinagar. She was questioned for five hours in a case relating to money laundering.

According to media reports, the former Chief Minister reached the ED office at Rajbagh at around 11:00 a.m. and left around 4:35 p.m. The Delhi High Court, on March 19, refused to stay the ED summons. Earlier, the ED had issued summons to Mehbooba Mufti on March 5, asking her to appear for questioning on March 15 but the Delhi High Court granted her temporary relief.

Later, speaking to reporters, Mehbooba Mufti, who heads the Peoples Democratic Party, said: “Questions were asked regarding the sale of our ancestral land in Bijbehara and use of the Chief Minister’s discretionary fund. I was asked from where would come the list of widows who were receiving help from the CM’s secret funds.” She said that her hands were clean and she was not apprehensive about the investigation.

Mufti reiterated that her party would continue to chart out a path for resolution of Jammu and Kashmir’s conflict and restoration of special status. She later tweeted that she was made to sign some papers reluctantly. “To set the record straight, during the course of my questioning at ED, right from the start I insisted on not signing any statements till I consulted my lawyers. But I was shown rule books & told that not signing would have consequences.

"Finally, despite my reluctance, I was forced to sign a statement which is evident from the cctv footage of my questioning.”