Srinagar: A former state minister, his MLA uncle and two of their relatives have been declared “wilful defaulters” by the Punjab National Bank (PNB) as they owe over Rs 32 crore to the bank.
The PNB published a public notice on Friday in a leading daily against four persons — Amjad Abas Ansari, Abid Hussain Ansari (Zadibal MLA), Imran Reza Ansari (MLA Pattan) and Kumail Hussain Ansari.
The four, according to the public notice, are directors of Highland Automobiles Pvt Ltd and Ansari Complex, Sonwar, Srinagar.
As per the notice, the four directors owe Rs 32,47,93,581 without interest and were declared wilful defaulters by the bank on March 19, 2014. The notice mentioned that they were declared Non-Performing Assets (NPA) on December 31, 2008.
“The bank has initiated recovery proceeding against them. In the public interest, it is being informed that having been declared as wilful defaulter by the bank, the borrowers are not entitled for financial assistance from any other bank/financial institution,” reads the notice issued by deputy circle head of the bank.
While Imran is a Peoples Democratic Party MLA from Pattan constituency of north Kashmir and served as a minister in the PDP-BJP government, his uncle Abid Ansari is a sitting PDP legislator from Zadibal constituency of Srinagar. After the PDP-BJP break up, former minister Imran and his uncle Abid had revolted against Mehbooba Mufti and accused her of “promoting family raj”.
Zadibal MLA Abid said there was a dispute over the issue with the PNB.
“The matter is sub judice and I think there is politics behind issuing this public notice,” Abid said.
Amjad Ansari said names of Imran and Abid were being dragged unnecessarily as they are not the directors of the company as mentioned in the public notice.
“Abid sahib and Imran sahib is nothing in the company and they are not the directors. They may have some share in the private limited company which anybody can have. It (the notice) is all politically motivated and somebody is doing it deliberately,” Amjad Ansari said.
Imran Ansari is a scion of the powerful Shia dynasty and inherited the leadership from his late father Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari who died in 2014. Senior Ansari quit the Congress to join his long-time political leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and together developed the party into a powerful political entity. (Tribune)
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