Srinagar, Apr 12: Buckling under pressure, Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) president and Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Thursday constituted an in-house advisory committee to probe into the financial irregularities in the Association. The panel will also check the genuineness of JKCA members, a move seen as “route for the exit of Goni” from the Association.
 Informed sources told Greater Kashmir that formal order for the constitution of four member in-house committee to probe probe the embezzlement of funds in the Association was issued today to placate the agitating members. More than 40 members of JKCA were demanding an internal inquiry in the multi- crore scam and sacking of National Conference leader and Abdullah family loyalist, Muhammad Aslam Goni from the post of chairman of the cricket body.
 Confirming the development, Treasurer of JKCA Manzoor Wazir said the four member panel will investigate the financial irregularities and would submit the report to the President within shortest possible time.
 “The report would be placed before Working Committee by the president,” Wazir said. According to him, the advisory committee comprising Arvinder Singh Micky, Ashwinder Koul, Sham Swaroop and Muhammad Ashraf Bhat would also look into the issue of genuiness of members of the JKCA.
 The ordering of internal probe comes barely two days after Dr. Farooq convened a meeting of JKCA at his Gupkar residence here to contain the possible rebellion. During the meeting, according to sources, JKCA members had demanded sacking of Aslam Goni and Farooq reportedly accepted their demand, saying Goni will no more be in the Association after his term ends.
 The scam came to fore last month, after it was found that the officials of the Association were running a number of parallel accounts in Khanyar and Air Cargo branches of JK Bank along with the original account. The funds for promotion of cricket were diverted to the “bogus” accounts and were subsequently siphoned off by the officials.
 Following the widespread embarrassment, Goni lodged an FIR in police station Ram Munshi Bagh and named Ehsan Mirza of  Nageen and Saleem Khan as the accused.
 Sources told Greater Kashmir that police investigation has not made any headway in the case, so far.

GONI REFUTES SACKING REPORT
 A handout issued by Goni camp strongly refutes the reports appearing in a section of media wherein it was said that Dr. Farooq Abdullah  chaired a meeting of the working committee of JKCA and sacked its chairman Aslam Goni.
 Talking to Greater Kashmir over phone, Goni said that his name  for the post of chairman was proposed by none other than Sham Saroop Kalsotra in the year 2009 and by Manzoor Wazir in the election held in the month of June, 2011.
 “ Is Sharad Pawar(former International Cricket Council chairman) a cricketer ? Is N Srinivisan (BCCI president) a cricketer?,” he said, when asked that JKCA members are alleging that he is not a genuine cricketer.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST