In it's orders on July 18, 2016, the Apex court had asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its state units to appoint an Ombudsman as per Lodha Panel recommendations.
While the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) is one of the first to appoint an ombudsman as ordered by the Supreme Court, it may have also unwittingly become a reason why other cricket bodies may refuse to follow suit.
In it's orders on July 18, 2016, the Apex court had asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its state units to appoint an Ombudsman as per Lodha Panel recommendations.
The HCA Hyderabad Cricket Association, which was accused of financial irregularities in the internal audit report of BCCI's affiliate associations, became one of the first associations to appoint Justice (retd) L. Narasimha Reddy as Ombudsman in order to improve its image.
And Justice Reddy has delivered his judgement. HCA president G Vivekanand and secretary T Sheshnarayan have been disqualified.
Vivekanand is found guilty of holding the post of advisor to the state government, which is in the rank of a cabinet minister. While Sheshnarayan stands disqualified on account of his name figuring as an accused in the chargesheets.
"A clear conflict of interest exists vis-a-vis G Vivekanand, on account of the commercial contract between Visaka Industries, of which he is a director, and the HCA. He also stands disqualified on account of his appointment as an advisor to the government," the order stated.
A similar contract was terminated by the former HCA president Arshad Ayub.
The Ombudsman had reserved his judgement on January 31 and finally after 36 days found Vivekanand guilty on two counts. On the other hand, Sheshnarayan has been disqualified on the ground that a few chargesheets were pending against him in court. He was suspended by the Apex Council led by HCA president Vivekanand and he had approached the Ombudsman for relief.
Justice Reddy took cognisance of the other complaints lodged against HCA secretary regarding his chargesheet and disqualified him as per Justice Lodha reforms.
The Ombudsman has now directed the HCA to hold the elections and handed the responsibility of running the association to the vice-president Anil Kumar and the treasurer P Mahender for now. However, both of them have been advised to not take any policy decision, except through a proper resolution of a general body.
HCA was recently in news when former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin was not allowed to attend the Special General Meeting (SGM) on January 7.
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