Hyderabad: Days after the ACB served notice on the chief executive officer of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) in connection with alleged irregularities in the selection of players, a team of officials recorded statements of former employees of the cricket body.
The anti-graft agency also wrote to banks seeking statements of selected players from 2021-22 and 2022-23 to detect transactions related to the alleged bribery.
It was reported that the former HCA employees, who were under pressure from the management, explained the process involved in the selection of under-19 players and the irregularities.
The former employees also told the officials that the HCA management asked them not to cooperate with the investigation. A previous employee said he was admitted to a hospital due to pressure from the HCA management.
The ACB booked a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) after allegations surfaced of interested candidates paying Rs 9 lakh bribe for a team berth. A case was also registered against Pattapu Srinivas, vice-president of Continental Cricket Club, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 9 lakh from the complainant to get his son selected to play tournaments in the Under-19 cricket team in 2021.
The former employees also lodged a complaint with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and CBI to look into the irregularities in the selection of players. After the Chief Minister returns from the US tour, a delegation of former employees plans to meet him.
