Hyderabad Cricket Association officials have been accused of criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 20 crore by the Enforcement Directorate.
Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has landed in major soup as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned the Congress leader for questioning in a Rs 20 crore money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the Hyderabad Cricket Association, sources told news agency PTI on Thursday. Azhar had been asked to depose before the federal agency ED at their office in Hyderabad on Thursday, the sources added.
The probe against the ex-India and Hyderabad captain are related to alleged financial irregularities in the HCA in which the ED had conducted searches in November last year. The money laundering case extends from the three FIRs and charge sheets filed by the Telangana anti-corruption bureau (ACB) for alleged criminal misappropriation of the funds of the HCA to the tune of Rs 20 crore.
Enforcement Directorate has summoned former Cricketer and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin in an alleged money laundering case linked to Hyderabad Cricket Association: Sources
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— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2024
In November last year, the ED had conducted several searches under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 at nine locations in Telangana. The searches were done at the residences of Gaddam Vinod, Shivlal Yadav and Arshad Ayub, who had served as president, vice-president, secretary of the HCA, respectively in the past. ED also searched the office premises of SS Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and the residential premises of its MD, Satyanarayana.
The ED searches resulted in the recovery and seizure of digital devices, incriminating documents and unaccounted cash of Rs 10.39 lakh. Gaddam Vinod’s residence was being used as an office for several companies owned / controlled by his brother and former MP Gaddam Vivekanand.
The ED initiated investigation on the basis of three FIRs registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Hyderabad, and the corresponding charge sheets filed by the ACB relating to criminal misappropriation of the funds of the Hyderabad cricket body to the tune of Rs. 20 crore.
The chargesheets contain allegations of serious irregularities in the procurement of DG sets, firefighting systems and canopies for Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium constructed in Uppal, Hyderabad. According to the charges, despite deadlines, the work was delayed inordinately leading to escalated costs and budget enhancements and corresponding losses to the HCA.
The office bearers of the HCA, including its then secretary, president and vice-president and others, in collusion with private parties, also got various tenders and works allotted to preferred vendors/contractors at higher than market rates without following proper tender processes and in many cases even before the receipt of quotations.
Mohammad Azharuddin turned out in 99 Tests and 334 ODIs for India. Azhar scored 6,215 Test runs with 22 centuries and 9,378 ODI runs with 7 centuries and 58 fifties.