Show-cause notice for Mohammed Azharuddin, head of Hyderabad cricket body

Hyderabad Cricket Association HCA president Mohammed Azharuddin has been issued a showcause notice by the associations apex council for his alleged conflict of interest and other reasons He has been suspended until an inquiry against him is completeThe fivepage notice also says that Azharuddins membership of the HCA also stands cancelled until the inquiry is over The council has given Azharuddin seven days to reply to the notice dated June 15Among the allegations against Azharuddin a former India captain is that he has so far failed to disclose that he was a mentor of a private cricket club in Dubai that allegedly competes in tournaments not recognised by the Indian cricket board thus raising the conflict of interest issueAnother allegation is that Azharuddin tried to stall all the financial transactions and commitments of the HCA by sending a letter to the Canara Bank with which the association has an accountAzharuddin held a press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday and alleged that five members of the nineman HCA apex council vicepresident John Manoj secretary R Vijaynanad joint secretary Naresh Sharma treasurer Surender Agarwal and councillor P Anuradha have ganged up against himIf five members Sri John Manoj Vijayanand Naresh Sharma Surender Agarwal amp Smt Anuradha gang up and call themselves Apex Council by what sense of interpretation is it justified I call it belligerent posturing with scant regard for the rule of law said AzharuddinAzharuddin retaliated by reminding the corruption case pertaining to the international stadium that the HCA has built in Uppal on the outskirts of Hyderabad The AntiCorruption Bureau ACB of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state launched an inquiry into the unusually high cost incurred on the stadiumWe are also aware that four of these members were named in a chargesheet outlining allegations of severe corruption All their attempts to escape the arm of law by adopting technical strategies have been defeated and very soon justice will prevail said the former India captainI want the cricket fraternity to know that they are facing law for having indulged in corruption in which the cost of construction of a cricket stadium has been escalated 35 times the initial approval chairs that have been bought at double the market price kickbacks in solar fencing and every other procurementAzharuddin alleged they took kickbacks in the construction of the stadiumAlso Read In seaming conditions its ideal to bat first and soak in pressure GangulyThey have challenged the procedure on the ground that they are not public servant and by inference are entitled to swindle the BCCI money through kickbacks generated beginning with project cost escalations and procurement Appalling to say the least he saidThe notice charged Azharuddin of hiding informationThe fact of you being a mentor has not been communicated to the HCA at any time It is also apparent that you have not communicated the same to the BCCI Board of Control for Cricket in India Therefore you being a mentor of an unrecognised tournament comes under the ambit of conflict of interest as envisaged under Rule 38 III of the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations 2018 of HCA read the noticeIt is also apparent that your communication to the Canara Bank where HCA maintains an account that you had deliberately tried to stall all financial transactions and commitments of the HCA and cripple sic the apex council from discharging its financial obligations it saidIt is claimed that the notice was issued to Azharuddin on June 10 based on complaints made by some HCA membersAfter considering the complaints made by the members against you it was decided at the apex council meeting on the 10th of this month to issue a showcause notice on the ground that you have acted in violation of the rules The apex council is suspending you and your membership of the HCA is being terminated until completion of the inquiry on these complaints it saidAlso ReadWomens Test Shafali Verma misses ton India falter after solid startThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever