NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Goa Cricket Association (GCA) president Chetan Dessai, secretary Vinod Phadke and the then treasurer Akbar Mulla claimed innocence in the Rs 1 crore fraud case probed by the economic offences cell (EOC) of Goa police.
According to police sources, there is documentary evidence in the case, however, the alleged accused have claimed that they are unaware of the Rs 1 crore cheque in question. Dessai, Phadke and Mulla, who are alleged accused in the case, appeared before the EOC on Friday.
They were questioned separately and their answers were said to be unsatisfactory.
The fourth alleged accused former GCA president Dayanand Narvekar did not appear also on Friday. Third summons is likely to be issued to Narvekar.
Meanwhile, complainant in the case, former Ranji cricketer Nilesh Prabhudesai has demanded appointment of administrator for GCA. Addressing media in the city, Prabhudesai said that government should take this issue seriously and appoint an administrator for GCA. He said that earlier also he had made a representation to the government after the first fraud case was registered against the GCA office bearers. Prabhudesai suspect there could be more such frauds in the GCA.
It may be recalled that EOC on Tuesday had registered an FIR against Narvekar, Dessai, Phadke and Mulla under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy for allegedly siphoning of Rs 1 crore of the GCA. According to police, the alleged accused hatched a criminal conspiracy and deposited cheque of Rs 1 crore in a fraudulent bank account and thereby misappropriated funds for TV subsidy, sent by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to GCA, thus cheating the GCA to the tune of Rs 1 crore.
Fearing arrest Phadke, Mulla and Dessai have approached the sessions court, Panaji seeking anticipatory bail and it is likely to come up for hearing on December 27.