HYDERABAD: Former India captain and ex-president of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) Mohammad Azharuddin was on Tuesday questioned by ED for over eight hours regarding an ongoing money laundering investigation. The case involves alleged financial irregularities in HCA.
ED’s probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act stems from multiple FIRs filed by the Uppal police related to alleged corruption in HCA, implicating several individuals, including Congress MLA G Vinod.
The FIRs accused Azharuddin of financial mismanagement in purchase of cricket equipment, gym supplies, fire safety devices and other material for Uppal stadium. Authorities claimed contracts worth Rs 3.8 crore were awarded to a bidder, who failed to complete the work on time.
The payments were made regardless as part of a broader criminal conspiracy, with an audit uncovering the misappropriation of HCA funds.
4 companies accused of teaming up with HCA representatives for fraudulent dealsBesides Azharuddin, former HCA secretary R Vijay Anand and former treasurer Surender Agarwal were also named in the FIRs. The charges against these individuals include criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and criminal breach of trust.
The companies implicated in these deals — Body Drench India Pvt Ltd, Fire Safety Engineers Pvt Ltd, Sara Sports, and Excellent Enterprises — were accused of collaborating with HCA representatives in fraudulent transactions.
The complaint led to a forensic audit of HCA’s finances for three years leading up to March 2023, which uncovered suspicious transactions involving third-party vendors that were deemed detrimental to the association.
The report revealed a Rs 1.5 crore invoice for gym equipment from Body Drench India, which had ceased operations in 2020.
A fire safety equipment contract worth Rs 1.88 crore was awarded to Firewin Safety Engineers, despite a lower bid of Rs 54.3 lakh from another vendor.
Azharuddin has also been accused of favouring Sara Sports in procuring SG test cricket balls, which allegedly resulted in a loss of Rs 57.07 lakh to HCA.
Inflated cost for stadium bucket seats from Excellent Enterprises led to a further Rs 43.1 lakh loss, with the company charging Rs 2,568 per seat, while another vendor offered the same seats for Rs 150 each.
Sources close to Azharuddin told TOI that HCA’s CEO Suneel Kante had alleged the vendor had overcharged for the gym equipment and lodged FIRs.
All relevant documents were presented in court, which granted bail to the accused, which suggested the case was frivolous and politically motivated, the sources claimed.
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