MS Shanker
The noose continues to tighten around the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) as the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) has petitioned the state’s Crime Investigation Department (CID), demanding further arrests in the sprawling corruption scandal that has rocked Hyderabad cricket. Among those named in the latest complaint is former cricketer and administrator Vanka Pratap.
The TCA’s intervention comes on the heels of a string of high-profile arrests already made by the CID, including HCA President A. Jagan Mohan Rao, Treasurer, CEO, and even a club secretary, and his wife. These arrests followed a complaint from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)—the IPL franchise based in Uppal—which accused Rao of extortion and sabotage during the last IPL season. SRH alleged that Rao demanded an extra 10% of tickets beyond the agreed quota and even locked their designated enclosure hours before a match.
Reacting swiftly, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed the Vigilance and Enforcement Department (VED) to probe the matter. Based on VED’s findings, the CID acted with speed, arresting multiple HCA officials and issuing notices to others.
HCA Secretary Devraj Ramchander is currently absconding. A police inspector from the Uppal station was suspended for allegedly aiding his escape. The CID has now issued a legal notice to Ramchander, directing him to surrender before the Telangana High Court by July 18.
Amid this administrative chaos, a truncated Apex Council meeting was held at the Uppal stadium on July 16, with only four members present—Vice President Daljit Singh, Joint Secretary Basawaraju, Councillor Sunil Agarwal, and the CAG representative. The meeting controversially appointed Daljit Singh as Acting President and resolved to resume the adjourned AGM of June 29. It also sought to appoint an Ombudsman and Ethics Officer, raising legal eyebrows over the quorum and procedural validity, particularly under the revised BCCI constitution.
Critics have also questioned the logic and legality of holding a follow-up AGM when one had already been concluded—potentially in violation of HCA bylaws.
TCA Drops a Bombshell
In its three-page petition to the CID, the TCA has gone several steps further than before, naming not just HCA functionaries but prominent political figures, including MLC K. Kavitha and MLA K.T. Rama Rao. The petition also targets former Director of HCA’s Academy for Excellence, Vanka Pratap, accusing him and others of being “instigators and conspirators of major corruption in selections and financial crimes” in the HCA over the past decade.
The TCA flagged how Pratap was repeatedly given key posts despite serious red flags. A report by the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee, led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao, dated July 31, 2023, had recommended his suspension. Similarly, the HCA Ombudsman, in Suo Motu Case No. 35 of 2025, had raised serious concerns over his role. Yet, Pratap was recently nominated to the committee headed by Justice Naveen Rao to oversee HCA league operations.
The TCA wants the CID probe extended to cover HCA affairs from 2014 to 2023—a period riddled with allegations of financial irregularities under former HCA President Mohammad Azharuddin, and office bearers John Manoj, R. Vijayanand, Purushotham Agarwal, and Surender Agarwal.
Call to Reopen ACB Cases
Sources say CID Director General Charu Sinha, known for her integrity and no-nonsense reputation, has taken cognisance of the petition and is considering widening the probe. Stakeholders and cricket fans are also pressing the state government to revive earlier Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cases where FIRs were filed but quietly buried without prosecution.
Adding to the turbulence, a sitting MP has reportedly raised serious objections to how the last HCA AGM was conducted. Of particular concern was the participation of 57 clubs that had been debarred for three years by Justice Nageswara Rao’s order, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the proceedings.
Government Shows Rare Resolve
The Revanth Reddy-led Congress government’s aggressive intervention has drawn applause from cricketing circles and civil society alike. By mobilising the CID, VED, and potentially the ACB, the government appears determined to clean up an institution long plagued by political meddling, financial rot, and factional infighting.
Whether this momentum will result in real reform or be smothered by legal delays and political deals remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the TCA’s latest salvo shows the demand for accountability is only growing louder. And the battle to save Hyderabad cricket is far from over.
