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Hyderabad Cricket President Arrested By CID For Alleged Fraud And Fund Theft

Soumyajit Dutta

A Jagan Mohan Rao in the centre [Source: @NewsMeter_In/X.com]A Jagan Mohan Rao in the centre [Source: @NewsMeter_In/X.com]

The Telangana Crime Investigation Department (CID) arrested Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president A Jagan Mohan Rao, treasurer C J Srinivas, and CEO Sunil Kante on Wednesday. The arrests stem from allegations of forgery and misappropriation of association funds. 

Two additional individuals, Rajender Yadav and his wife Kavitha, members of a Hyderabad cricket club, were also detained for questioning in connection with the case.

Telengana Cricket Association Files Case For HCA

The CID had registered a case against the three HCA officials last month as reported by The Indian Express. They face charges including forgery, cheating, using forged documents, dishonest misappropriation of property, and criminal breach of trust. The investigation originated from a June 9 complaint filed by D Guruva Reddy, general secretary of the Telangana Cricket Association.

Reddy alleged that "Rao had contested the HCA elections in 2023 by furnishing forged documents and, along with the others, usurped the association’s funds worth Rs 2.32 crore." CID sources confirmed the probe found Rao "had forged a cricket club membership to qualify for contesting the 2023 HCA elections," as one eligibility requirement is membership in an HCA-affiliated club.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Adds To HCA's Woes

The investigation also considered findings from a state vigilance probe. This separate inquiry examined allegations by IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) that the HCA pressured them into providing excessive complimentary passes. 

In an email to HCA treasurer Srinivas, SRH manager T B Srinath detailed the incident ahead of a March 27 match.

“This act of threatening and blackmailing for complimentary tickets, just a few hours before the start of our game, is not only illegal but also unacceptable as it raises serious concerns about the working relationship between our organisations,” read the mail.

Srinath alleged that HCA staff locked a corporate box "unless 20 extra free tickets were given to you." The vigilance probe, whose report was recently submitted to the state government, concluded the HCA was in breach of privileges.