PIL for probe into Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association affairs: HC notice to BCCI

The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Centre, UP government, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and others on a public interest litigation seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) probe into the functioning of Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and appointment of an Adminrator in its place till holding of “fair elections”.
The PIL filed 15 cricket players also seeks appointment of an agency for auditing the accounts of UPCA to unearth the alleged “misuse of funds for personal gains directors/UPCA and their henchmen”.
It alleges that the officer bearers of the UPCA have been holding the same posts for 15-20 years contrary to the apex court guidelines and without holding fair elections.

It adds that they “are selecting the undeserving players without any fair trials and are also misusing the funds and properties, which are being used them for their personal benefits, causing sufficient loss and injuries to many talented players and cricket lovers”.
Delving into the genesis of issue, the PIL states that UPCA was regered as a society in October 1955 and later converted into a company in 2005 under a “conspiracy” and in contravention of Regration of Societies Act. The plea also seeks cancellation of UPCA’s regration as a company.

“All the 8 Directors of the newly incorporated company are controlling the game of cricket in Uttar Pradesh against whom a large number of complaints and litigations are pending to which they are not responding on the plea that the affairs of a company incorporated under the companies act are beyond the purview and jurisdiction of the State Government and hence they are not answerable to any probe and any such inquiry,” it reads.
Referring to recent events, the PIL states that “some election” was held last month in which a Delhi resident has been elected as President of UPCA and a septuagenarian has been declared as Vice President. The PIL also seeks setting aside of the election.

A writ petition filed in the Allahabad High Court recently highlighted that family members of big corporate houses had been added to the life members’ l of the UPCA.
“A glance at the l of Members shown to have been inducted as Life Members, Corporate Members of the respondent No.4 (UPCA), shall reveal that family Members from the big corporate Houses with huge money bags have been inducted both as Life Members and Corporate Members under a strategic plan to change the electoral roll and the cricketing character of the cricket association,” the writ petition filed Apex Council members stated.