The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday summoned former cricketer and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin in connection with a money laundering case involving the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).
Azharuddin, who previously served as president of the HCA, is accused of misappropriating funds during his tenure. This is the first summons issued to the Congress leader, requiring him to appear before the probe agency today.
The case pertains to alleged misappropriation of Rs 20 crore, allocated for the procurement of diesel generators, firefighting systems, and canopies for the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad's Uppal.
The money laundering case stems from four criminal cases lodged by the Hyderabad Police in October 2023. Azharuddin and other former officials of the HCA were charged with criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and conspiracy, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
According to the details, a forensic audit conducted at HCA’s request uncovered fund mismanagement and diversion to private agencies between March 2020 and February 2023. Following these findings, HCA CEO Suneel Kante Bose filed a complaint.
Azharuddin denied the allegations, calling them "false" and politically motivated, saying, "This is just a stunt pulled by my rivals to ruin my reputation."
In November 2023, a Hyderabad court granted him anticipatory bail in three of the four cases.
Later that month, ED conducted searches at nine locations in Telangana, including the homes of former HCA office bearers Gaddam Vinod, Shivlal Yadav, and Arshad Ayub, as part of a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The raids uncovered digital devices, incriminating documents, and unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 10.39 lakh.
