Vigilance examines club ownership changes, ticket racket after SRH accuses HCA president
Hyderabad: The vigilance committee, probing a racket involving the sale of IPL complimentary tickets by the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), is reportedly examining documents related to the transfer of cricket club ownerships. According to sources, multiple transfers have taken place in the ownership of HCA clubs in recent months.
This probe was initiated following serious allegations against HCA president A. Jagan Mohan Rao, who was accused by IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) of coercion, blackmail, and harassment for complimentary tickets during IPL matches at the Uppal stadium this year.
With SRH threatening to relocate its home matches out of Hyderabad, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy stepped in and ordered a vigilance probe into these allegations and asked director-general of Vigilance and Enforcement, Kothakota Sreenivasa Reddy, to conduct the investigation.
Apart from examining the ticket allocation and alleged coercion, the vigilance team is also looking at internal workings of HCA, including the transfer of clubs.
Previously, investigation by a single-man committee led by Justice Nageswara Rao, a retired Supreme Court judge appointed by the apex court, revealed that the ownership of multiple clubs by individuals or their family members was a prevalent issue, which impacted governance and fair play. This revelation led to the ban on 57 club officials from contesting or voting in the HCA elections.
Additionally, the committee had noted that 80 clubs were owned by 12 individuals and their families, which raised concerns about potential manipulation and conflict of interest within the HCA. However, the HCA committee later reinstated many clubs.
The ongoing probe aims to ascertain the extent of misconduct in the HCA, including the suspicious club transfers, to ensure transparency and proper governance in the association's functioning. This ownership issue has implications for fair play, good governance, and the potential for cartels to control elections within the HCA.
Some of the clubs under the scanner include Sri Chakra Cricket Club, which was previously Gowlipura Cricket Club owned by Rajendra Yadav, who was elected as the HCA president; MP Colts Cricket Club, Future Stars Cricket Club, Deccan Wanderers, Universal Cricket Club, Oxford Blues Cricket Club, Bheema Cricket Club among others.
Sources said that all these clubs had changed their secretaries after Justice Nageswara Rao's report and were being handled by people who were in no way connected with cricket. They also found that they did not properly maintain any records, players, grounds, among others.
