Hyderabad Cricket Association funds embezzlement case: Mohammed Azharuddin gets anticipatory bail in 3 FIRs

HYDERABAD: Principal district and sessions judge B R Madhusudhan Rao of Medchal Malkajgiri district on Monday granted anticipatory bail to Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) former president Mohammed Azharuddin in three separate criminal cases lodged by Uppal police in Hyderabad.


The police have charged Azhar and others of resorting to irregularities while purchasing cricket balls, gym equipment and fire extinguishers for HCA stadium at Uppal.

According to Konda Krishna, the advocate on record for Azharuddin, the police have named him as accused merely because he happened to be the President of the HCA during the relevant time. Tenders were called and the work worth Rs 3.5 crore was allotted to a successful bidder who could not complete the work within the stipulated time, he said. Stating that the payment was made even though the work was not done as part of a criminal conspiracy, public prosecutor Buchi Reddy opposed any relief to Azharuddin.

We got the accounts audited and this was turned out to be a clear case of misuse of HCA money, he said.

Appearing for Azharuddin, senior counsel K Ramakanth Reddy said that it is ironic that the same CEO of HCA who placed the purchase order in July 2021, now files a complaint against Azharuddin for this purchase after a lapse of two years.

Moreover, this CEO was placed under suspension during the very same tenure of Azharuddin's presidency and the current FIRs are an offshoot of that suspension episode, he said. The judge granted anticipatory bail to Azhar with certain conditions.