Shocking irregularities in Indian cricket : 14 members of DDCA share same address

Last month, the economic offenses wing of Goa Police filed a FIR against Chetan Dessai, the president of the GCA, in connection with a fraud case of nearly Rs. 3 crore. FIRs were also lodged against the secretary and the treasurer of the association, based on complaints made by a member of the GCA. It was an eerily familiar story to seven months ago, when a three-member committee, set up by the Delhi government to probe into the allegations of corruption within the DDCA, recommended that the BCCI suspend the association.

A lot of state cricket associations have been under the scanner recently due to fund mismanagement and corruption, and a few more skeletons were laid bare in front of the Supreme Court on Thursday.

“It is like standing outside the Regal Cinema hoping someone inside can send out a ticket,” Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium said while highlighting how children are unable to enter cricket stadiums for matches, while privileged exploit the 'pass' system, reported the Hindu.

He argued that the BCCI is 'out of its depth' and that Justice Lodha Panel's recommendations are a 'wake up call'.

“They have done a lot for the game, but the future is at stake. This effort is not to tarnish or truncate their image, but there must be some standardization of procedure, some spell-check,” he added.

"But look at the incident in Goa and even in Delhi. The DDCA has 9,000 members and the office-bearers have included their drivers and cooks as members. Shockingly, a single 48 square feet house in Shakoor Basti is registered as the address of as many as 14 members.”

"But look at the incident in Goa and even in Delhi. The DDCA has 9,000 members and the office-bearers have included their drivers and cooks as members. Shockingly, a single 48 square feet house in Shakoor Basti is registered as the address of as many as 14 members.”

However, the Supreme Court did red flag a few of Justice Lodha panel's recommendations. The apex court bench, which compromised of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla, questioned the panel's recommendations of one state one vote, limit on the tenure of the office-bearers, and presence of a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) nominee on the BCCI Board.

"We are not reviewing any decision of the BCCI. Say if they are selecting a team, whether they should have a fast bowler or a spinner. We are not going to step in there," said the bench, reported IANS.

The bench also gave the green light to allowing politicians and bureaucrats to hold positions in the BCCI. "Politicians could always be there in their individual capacity. Whether one is a bureaucrat or a politician, so long he is elected according to rules, there can be no bar,” the bench said.

The Supreme Court, however, questioned why it is only now that the BCCI is asking its member associations to provide details of how the funds are being utlized. "Why did you not require (this) earlier," the bench asked.

"Why should you stop aid to the game, simply because some thieves have misused the funds. Stopping aid is no answer.

"Whether you have asked the auditors to conduct a performance audit of funds flowing from BCCI to the State cricket associations," the bench asked the BCCI, reported IANS.

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