3 officials of Goa Cricket Association arrested for mass misappropriation of funds

Goa Cricket Association president Chetan Dessai, secretary Vinod Phadke and treasurer Akbar Mulla were on Wednesday arrested by police for alleged misappropriation of over Rs 3 crore belonging to the organisation.

Inspector Shivram Vaingankar of the Economic Offences Wing of Goa Police told PTI that all three were called for questioning this evening and were subsequently arrested.

The EOW filed an FIR against the trio in connection with the alleged fraud of Rs 3.13 crore on June 3.

GCA's life member Vilas Desai had filed a complaint accusing Dessai and the other two of forging signatures and opening bank accounts to siphon off the association's money.

They opened accounts between October 23, 2006, and May 23, 2008, when GCA was headed by Dayanand Narvekar while Dessai was its secretary and Phadke its treasurer.

"They prepared forged documents as well as a resolution of GCA and submitted it to the Development Credit Bank to open an account. They then encashed a cheque of Rs 2.87 crore given by BCCI to the GCA," the complaint says.

The accused also forged signatures and withdrew Rs 26 lakh from the Federal Bank on the pretext of making payment to a sports goods company called 'Hako Enterprise', it says.

Following the complaint, police registered a case under sections 408, 409 (criminal breach of trust), 419 (cheating by impersonation), 463, 464, 468 (forgery), 471 (fraud), 420 (cheating) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.