ED to Unearth Illegal Payments in HCA Elections

Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which sought all documents from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), is expected to examine the money trail in the club conversion activity that landed Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president A. Jaganmohan Rao and others in jail.

The ED will scrutinise bank transactions, fund flows, and cash movements linked to the name change of Gowlipura Cricket Club into Sri Chakra Cricket Club. This includes examining payments made for alleged “club activities” and any transfers to the personal accounts of the accused.

The CID has arrested Jaganmohan Rao and senior HCA office-bearers on charges of forgery, cheating, criminal breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds. The ED is likely to probe the black-marketing of IPL tickets, coercion of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for extra complimentary passes, and diversion of proceeds from ticket sales. These inquiries may reveal additional layers of financial fraud and laundering, sources in the HCA said.

The creation and use of forged documents to manipulate club membership and elections are central to the scam. The ED will analyse both digital and physical evidence to establish the chain of forgery and its financial implications.

It will also map out the beneficiary network, identifying all those who profited from the scam, including HCA officials, club members, and external entities who may have received illicit funds, the source added.

The ED’s probe, initiated in early 2025, uncovered that HCA office-bearers awarded contracts for cricket balls, chairs, and gym equipment at highly inflated prices to certain firms. These firms allegedly transferred illicit financial gains to a few office-bearers through complex layering of transactions, including payments disguised as event sponsorships and loans, indicating a quid pro quo arrangement.

The ED is also investigating the misappropriation of funds sanctioned for stadium construction and equipment procurement. The agency conducted raids last year on premises linked to former HCA officials and seized incriminating documents and unaccounted cash.