KCA was in the news recently for buying mangrove land for building a cricket stadium
Following the Pune curator fiasco just prior to the second ODI against New Zealand recently, all the claims by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of maintaining 'zero tolerance' may not have really taken shape. In what could be another rude shock, DNA has learnt that the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) vice-president Rejith Rajendran has been made Joint General Convenor of the Organising Committee for the India-New Zealand T20I tie to be held in Thiruvananthapuram on November 7.
Rajendran has been indicted by the Kerala crime branch as well as the finance department of the state government following investigation into large scale financial misappropriation in the Kerala Chapter of the Indian Red Cross Society. KCA is well aware that the Chief Patron of the Organising Committee for this T20I is Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself.
Rajendran is also BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) officer for all BCCI matches in Kerala this season.
And, BCCI may not yet be aware that the man who would be ensuring that "the integrity of cricket is not compromised" in Kerala is named by more than one agency in reports of enquiry into large scale misappropriation of funds intended for the poor.
A top BCCI official told DNA that he was shocked to hear this."The onus is on state associations (KCA in this case) to do the background check. State associations send us names and we appoint them," said the official. "If what you are saying (citing FIR against him) is true, then this is a very serious issue. But let me be honest. This matter has not been brought to our knowledge till date."
But the moot point now is what action will be initiated against KCA for keeping BCCI in the dark about the corruption reports against Rajendran.
KCA was in the news recently for buying mangrove land for building a cricket stadium. The Deloitte report not only brought out serious financial corruption in the Association but also forced KCA strongman and BCCI vice-president TC Mathew to quit his position following his two-decade long association with Kerala cricket. DNA then also cited annual audit reports of the KCA to expose how they spent more than Rs 12 crore over six years on maintaining an office for a project,which didn't exist.
The background
The investigations into the Red Cross scam were put into motion on October 5, 2015, when the Governor of Kerala (letter in DNA's possession) asked the Chief Minister, vide DO No. GS4-2654/2014, for a comprehensive enquiry into the affairs of Indian Red Cross Society, Kerala branch.
After several inquiries at various levels where "prima facie it was found that there was abuse of power and large scale misappropriation of money" by Sunil C Kurian, Anil Chempzhanthy and Rejith Rajendran, an FIR (No. 182/CR/EOW 1/KLM/16) was registered by CBCID against the trio.
The background of this entire story is even more interesting. This paper has learnt that one of the findings in the report was that it was Mrs Krishna PS Nair (Rajendran's wife), who was originally elected as Vice-Chairperson. However, in the next Management Committee meeting, she pleaded "inability" to be sworn in due to her "official and personal engagements" and her husband, Rajendran, replaced her in the very same meeting.
Later, the Finance (Inspection NTJ&H) department conducted inspection of the Kerala State branch (Thiruvananthapuram) and the Kottayam district branch of the Indian Red Cross Society in July and found "serious financial corruption, nepotism, disorderliness in administration, misuse of vehicles and unlawful activities in the Kerala Branch of the Society".
It was also found that there were large scale irregularities in printing, distribution and accounting for fund raising stamps worth Rs 3.25 crore in 2011 and 2015. Instead of printing the stamps in the government press as rules stipulated, printing was entrusted to private agencies. Audited receipt-expenditure statements were not available. Disproportionate increase in expenditure of the institution was found in the months following the receipt of income through the sale of stamps, none of it in the area of charitable activities.
The finance department recommended that "on account of the act of robbing the property of the Red Cross as above without conducting charitable activities and doing untoward acts to ruin the charitable institution, the Red Cross membership of Sunil C Kurian, Anil Chempzhanthy and Rejith Rajendran are liable to be cancelled during their life time as provided by the rule in Chapter II [h(c)] of the bye laws of the Indian Red Cross Society (page 356). And due care should be observed by the government, connected institutions and the public to avoid such persons from coming at the top of noble organizations and institutions like this".
With BCCI and SC-appointed Committee of Administrators also being informed about Rajendran's involvement in this financial scam, immediate action is expected to keep the tainted person away from their Anti-Corruption Unit team as well as organisational matters.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "KCA")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}