HCA president on sticky wicket, likely to lose post

Hyderabad: Petitions seeking disqualification of Jaganmohan Rao as president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association as fake on a number of grounds, would be likely to be decided by the Apex court on the coming July 23. He is not even eligible to contest the election as he had not attended a single general body meeting of the Association,

Though the Gowlipura Cricket Club represented the HCA for a long time, Jaganmohan Rao contested the election representing Srichakra Cricket Club. There is no recognition for Srichakra Cricket Club as per the HCA records and as per Justice Narasimha Reddy, appointed as Ombudsman by the HCA. When the players of the Gowlipura Cricket Club, playing for over a decade, contested the change of name plea made by Rajender Yadav, as Srichakra Cricket Club, Justice Narasimha Reddy rejected the new club. But, Jaganmohan Rao contested the election, claiming that he is representing Srichakra Cricket Club. Without looking into the objections raised by other members, the Returning Officer of the election accepted Srichakra Cricket Club as a member and allowed him to contest. A case in this regard is still pending in Telangana High Court, but Jaganmohan Rao was allowed to contest as representing Srichakra Club, which is a grave violation of the law, argues Seshu Narayana, former secretary of HCA.

All the drama to enable Jaganmohan Rao to contest the election as he has been representing Srichakra Cricket Club as its treasurer, cropped up in September 2023. The returning officer of the election Sampat Kumar accepted Srichakra as member, even after the irregularities had been brought to his notice, ignoring the orders of Ombudsman. The club is not at all existing, then how Jaganmohan Rao contested on a non-existing club, points out Seshu Narayana.

Even the Sampath Kumar in connivance with Jaganmohan Rao, had intentionally ignored the condition that if anybody has to contest the election for any office-bearer post, he must have either served as office bearer of HCA or must have attended the general body meeting, as per the old constitution of HCA. He failed to fulfil none of these conditions. But, even after Sampath Kumar allowed a disqualified person to contest the election, points out Seshu Narayana.

A number of petitions seeking his disqualification were filed immediately and they are in final stages in the Supreme Court. The newly elected body also failed to follow the guidelines of the single man committee to pursue the matter of pending cases. Infact, the single member committee through CEO had registered four FIRs in Uppal police station about the several allegations of huge and multiple corrupted activities of the earlier president and the committee. The Apex council had not yet acted in this regard in the last six months, says Seshu Narayana.

The grave charges levelled by former secretary Seshu Narayana against Jaganmohan Rao are in tune with the objections raised by the current joint secretary T Baswa Raju in his open letter and Roma Singh, Women’s Representative of BCCI in the Apex Council of HCA. Both of them are members of the Apex council.