Cricket: From Goa, with love, writes Kirti Azad

The procession has started. What has been expected for years has begun to happen with the biblical inevitability --- “Look I told you so’. 

Till yesterday, the Goa police was not taking any action. But no sooner than the Supreme Court was left stupefied with tales of loot and defalcation in various state associations and how Goa’s office bearers had swindled BCCI’s subvention fees into private accounts, the state police woke up. 

The top three officials of the Goa Cricket Association (GCA) were arrested by the Economic Offences Cell of the Goa Police for alleged embezzlement of funds to the tune of over Rs 3 crore.

I am not surprised at the charges of cheating, impersonation, forging documents and criminal conspiracy that have been slapped against the trio. Goa’s fraud, though serious, is really not even a microscopic speck of the massive fraud that has been going on in Delhi Cricket Association (DDCA) for years. In fact, fraud has been institutionalised in Delhi and can offer an example to all crooks including Charles Shobhraj on how to rob a cricket association without much attendant risk. 

The recipe is simple... First, assume control of a cricket association, through proxies and compliant members. Bring in a rootless politician as head, who has networking skills and who knows how to abuse the due process of law. Get a Chartered Accountant to prepare fake Balance Sheets and to pass sham bills. Defalcate BCCI’s subvention money by showing large expenses under the heads of Repair & Maintenance, Legal expenses, professional expenses, Establishment expenses, Security expenses, Catering expenses, Tent expenses, etc.. 

Have your own companies as front for getting all contracts at highly inflated rates or for no work. Have a whole bunch of free loaders who have nothing to do with cricket, but who crowd around the stadium and club all day looking for crumbs. And, do not allow any cricketer to come anywhere near the stadium- just throw some crumbs and keep them at a distance.

DDCA has used the above formula successfully for years. 

We, Delhi’s former cricketers kept on telling the then President (Arun Jaitley) that most of his colleagues were siphoning off money and there were malpractices in selections --- money was being routinely demanded by selectors and office bearers to select boys. 

Clubs were being illegally taken over and DDCA office bearers were behind many corrupt activities. He stood solidly with all of them and went out of his way to support them from penal action. We went to the police, but the Commissioners were themselves looking for plum postings after retirement and were amenable to even a slight nudge from the boss to call a stop to the investigation process. 

In fact, quid pro quo is the best medicine in today’s world. As Arun Jaitley would often say --- cricketers are easy meat --- just offer them a small assignment and their unity will break in no time. 

It used to happen earlier but when he saw that he was unable to break the unity forged by Bishan Singh Bedi and other crusaders in NCT Cricket Association, he turned tail and abandoned DDCA. His trusted Chartered Accountant firm, which he had been retaining despite vociferous opposition from members like us, are currently facing prosecution for window dressing of accounts and Institute of Chartered Accountants have held them guilty of professional misconduct. 

Various Internal and external agencies have indicted DDCA of massive irregularities and malfeasance including defalcation of funds. Balance Sheets for the last three years have not been filed and pressure on Directors to sign them has not yielded the desired results. One Vice President struts around like an erstwhile King and is carrying out orders for which he has been given a plum role in an independent organisation, which carries various perks and allowances.

Freeloaders have been running riot. Anybody who can create a nuisance was given an ‘annual outlay’ which he can withdraw, by producing some bills. Even couple of days back, despite so much pressure by CBI, one known crook went to the treasurer with bills of Rs 7 lakhs for a stated expense on providing taxis during league matches --- with whose permission, and at what rates, he did not say. 

But, several office-bearers have been supporting his extortion demands for he knows about the skeletons in their own cupboards.

Justice Mukul Mudgal who was tasked with conducting India-South Africa match and the subsequent CL-20 and IPL matches has produced a bumper profit in each. The previous tournaments had all produced a loss --- all during Arun Jaitley’s tenure, yet he was claimed to be unaware of the loot that was going on under his watch. Doctored Balance Sheets covered all the ‘glory’ of his trusted colleagues.

BCCI has been fully indulgent towards all the affiliated units. Like the state units’ heads, BCCI inaction is also legion. That we had complained about the continuing fraud to the BCCI and no action was taken by BCCI even to investigate the matter spoke volumes about their complicity and support to all the nefarious activities in DDCA, as indeed all state units where such blatant loot was taking place. This shows how BCCI has supported the Committee members in such above mentioned fraud. Without the strong support of BCCI, the mother body of state associations, the office-bearers of state units would not have dared to do such acts of cheating.

BCCI officials are now running for cover. Clearly stung by the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s aggressive posture, the cricket board under its present dispensation has reluctantly launched a clean-up drive following the Lodha Committee whiplash.

BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke now says: “Let the law take its own course.” 

In fact, the abuse of legal process by BCCI is best exemplified by the high amount of legal expenses paid to expensive lawyers who have kept detractors and stakeholders at an arm’s length.
 
(Kirti Azad is three-time Member of Parliament and former India all-rounder)