New Delhi:
Former Indian cricketers Kirti Azad, Bishan Singh Bedi and others today moved the Delhi High Court demanding appointment of an independent administrator to look into the alleged financial irregularities in the DDCA.
The suspended BJP lawmaker said that beside DDCA, he in his petition has impleaded the central and state governments, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and all current and former 13 DDCA officials, including its former president and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
The plea, filed by former Indian cricketers Azad, Bishan Singh Bedi, Maninder Singh, Dronacharya awardee cricket coach Gurcharan Singh and two others, sought direction to the Centre "to cancel the privileges like subsidised land that have been extended to Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) and to ensure that no loss is caused to exchequer".
Maintaining that Mr Azad and others were "aggrieved by the financial mismanagement and the general mismanagement of the affairs" of the cricketing body, the plea said an investigation by a "SIT or a court-monitored investigation by CBI" be carried out to look into the criminal offence committed by DDCA officials.
It sought "appointment of an administrator to administer in DDCA, and to ensure the preparation of electoral rolls, and for the conduct of fresh elections to the working committee" of the cricketing body.
"The petitioners (Azad and others) apprehend that the CBI will not be able to conduct a free and fair investigation of allegations made against DDCA, especially since Arun Jaitley, during whose tenure as President most of the allegation pertain to, is presently a senior Cabinet Minister in the Union Council of Ministers and is also the Leader of the House is the Rajya Sabha," the plea said.
BJP has suspended Mr Azad for his attack on Mr Jaitley and served him a show cause notice asking why he should not be expelled.