TDCA Seeks BCCI Probe into HCA's Rs 70 Crore Transfer to Visaka Industries
Venkateshwar Reddy further highlighted years of alleged malpractices in HCA team selections, resulting in no Hyderabad players reaching major tournaments and consistent losses across domestic competitions, including Ranji Trophy matches.
Hyderabad: The Telangana Districts Cricket Association (TDCA) has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to investigate the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s (HCA) transfer of Rs 70 crore to Visaka Industries — owned by Vivek Venkatswamy — and to disband the current HCA committee.
In a letter to BCCI president Mithun Manhas and secretary Devajit Saikia, TDCA president A. Venkateshwar Reddy asserted that the funds, meant for promoting cricket and nurturing young talent, were disbursed without the approval of the Justice P. Naveen Rao single-member committee, appointed by the Telangana High Court to oversee HCA operations.
Reddy claimed that Amarnath, who lost the HCA elections but was recently appointed president through alleged backdoor means after A. Jaganmohan Rao's removal amid legal controversies, made the payment.
Jaganmohan Rao was arrested by the CID in July 2025 over an IPL ticket scam involving alleged forgery, cheating, and fund misappropriation. Visaka Industries secured an arbitral award against HCA stemming from a 2004 Uppal stadium naming rights deal where it initially paid Rs 4 crore. The court order in November 2025 mandated HCA to deposit Rs 68.73 crore.
The TDCA accused HCA of colluding with Visakha Industries by deliberately avoiding a challenge to the arbitration award, terming it a "totally colluded affair" to inflate the payout exponentially. He alleged that Justice Naveen Rao, appointed in July 2025 to probe irregularities and restrict major financial decisions, was bypassed entirely.
Venkateshwar Reddy further highlighted years of alleged malpractices in HCA team selections, resulting in no Hyderabad players reaching major tournaments and consistent losses across domestic competitions, including Ranji Trophy matches. He criticised irregularities in appointing Ombudsman Justice Suresh and HCA's plans to launch a Telangana Premier League in rural areas purely to generate funds, disregarding professional ethics in player selection and match conduct.
The TDCA demanded that BCCI appoint an oversight committee — mirroring its intervention in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association affairs — to manage HCA's daily operations, conduct a full inquiry into financial and administrative lapses, and hold fresh elections.