Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related to the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). Azhar, the former president of the HCA, is accused of misappropriating funds between 2019 and 2022. (More Sports News)
Cricketer-turned-politician Azhar was scheduled to appear before the ED on Thursday (October 4), but he did not attend and requested an extension.
The case involves allegations that Azhar misused ₹20 crore allocated for the procurement of diesel generators, firefighting systems, and canopies for the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
This marks the first time the ED has summoned Azhar, directing him to appear before the agency to clear his name in this money laundering case.
Meanwhile, the ED initiated its investigation based on three FIRs filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Hyderabad, with corresponding charge sheets indicating criminal misappropriation of HCA funds.
In November 2023, the ED carried out searches at nine locations in Telangana under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The residences of Gaddam Vinod, Shivlal Yadav, and Arshad Ayub, who have previously held the positions of president, vice-president, and secretary of the HCA, were among those searched. The agency also inspected the office of SS Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and the home of its managing director, Satyanarayana.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, the search operations led to the recovery and seizure of digital devices, incriminating documents, and unaccounted cash totaling ₹10.39 lakh.
During the search at one of Gaddam Vinod's premises, it was discovered that the location was being used as an office for several companies owned or controlled by his brother, Gaddam Vivekanand, a former MP.
According to a report by Wion, the charge sheet revealed that HCA office bearers, including the then secretary, president, vice-president, and others, conspired with private parties to arbitrarily award various tenders to preferred contractors at inflated market rates.
It further noted that the individuals involved bypassed proper tender procedures, making advance payments to several contractors even before the work was completed.
Mohammad Azharuddin And Controversies
Azhar has often found himself at the center of major controversies. The BCCI banned him for life due to his involvement in a match-fixing scandal that rocked Indian cricket at the dawn of the new millennium.
In November 2000, Azhar, who was the Indian captain at the time, admitted to his wrongdoing, identifying himself as a "key man in the group of Test captains" under investigation.
Although he remained sidelined from Indian cricket after the ban, the Hyderabad Cricket Association appointed him as president in 2019.
That same year, the BCCI offered him a chance to join former cricketers honored with a lap around the ground during the pink-ball Test against Bangladesh. Additionally, the Hyderabad Cricket Stadium has a stand named in his honor.
