By Special Correspondent
The murky world of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) appears to be heading toward another storm. Fresh claims suggest that the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has reportedly intensified its probe into alleged financial irregularities in the association, following persistent complaints from the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) and other stakeholders who have been fighting a long legal and administrative battle against what they describe as systemic corruption within the state’s cricket administration.
According to sources familiar with the developments, the CID is believed to have reopened investigations that were earlier put on hold following the arrest of the HCA’s top office-bearers — the president, secretary, and treasurer — in connection with earlier corruption allegations. Those arrests had once raised hopes that the deep-rooted rot within the association would finally be exposed.
The investigating agency has reportedly summoned the newly elected HCA president as well as the complainant, Guruva Reddy, for further inputs regarding the alleged irregularities. The summons, sources say, are part of the CID’s renewed effort to gather additional material and revisit certain financial transactions that had earlier come under scrutiny.
However, the prolonged lull in the probe after the initial arrests had left many observers questioning whether powerful interests had succeeded in slowing down the investigation.
Now, fresh allegations are once again shaking the foundations of the association.
Unconfirmed reports circulating within cricketing and political circles claim that soon after assuming office, the newly elected HCA president allegedly advised the association’s bankers to release funds to a serving minister in the cabinet of Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, purportedly citing certain court directives. Critics allege that the transaction may have been part of a quid-pro-quo arrangement linked to controversial financial dealings surrounding cricket infrastructure projects — a claim that, if substantiated, could widen the scope of the ongoing investigation.
Whether this was merely coincidence or a deliberate act of financial misconduct remains an open question. Many observers insist that only a court-monitored probe can determine the truth behind these serious allegations.
Why the political tremors?
Political observers say the controversy has begun to rattle the Telangana government.
Sources close to the Chief Minister claim he has been closely watching the escalating controversy surrounding the alleged payment of about ₹67 crore by the HCA for the construction of a stadium on government-leased land. The issue suddenly gained momentum after outspoken BJP leader and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar publicly threatened to expose what he described as massive irregularities in the HCA.
While speaking to journalists in Karimnagar before leaving for Delhi to attend the ongoing Parliament session last week, Bandi Sanjay declared that he would pursue the issue relentlessly and would even demand criminal proceedings against the minister allegedly involved in receiving the controversial payment.
That statement, political analysts say, has injected a dangerous new dimension into the controversy.
If the Opposition succeeds in turning the HCA scandal into a political issue ahead of the upcoming elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), it could potentially embarrass the ruling Congress government. The stakes are particularly high because the state government is reportedly planning a grab the GHMC after massive exapnsion, increasing its strength from 170 wards to nearly 300 — a move widely seen as part of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s long-term political strategy to consolidate urban political power.
Historically, ruling parties in undivided Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — whether the Telugu Desam Party or the Bharat Rashtra Samithi — have made enormous efforts to secure control of the powerful civic body, often navigating complex political equations with the All India Majlis‑e‑Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which has traditionally played a key role in Hyderabad’s urban politics.
A strategic move?
Against this politically sensitive backdrop, some insiders believe the renewed CID activity may also have a political dimension.
According to sources, the Chief Minister — known for his sharp political instincts — may have decided to allow the probe to gather pace so that pressure could build on the minister whose name is being linked to the HCA controversy. If investigating agencies establish prima facie evidence, it could force the minister to step aside voluntarily before the scandal grows into a full-blown political liability for the government.
The “confession” controversy
Adding further fuel to the fire are statements made by TCA General Secretary Guruva Reddy Dharam, who has been at the forefront of the campaign against alleged irregularities in the HCA.
According to him, the minister at the centre of the controversy has reportedly indicated that the ₹64–67 crore allegedly received from the HCA could be used to develop cricket infrastructure in districts.
“If this is not a confession, what else is it?” Guruva Reddy asks. “By saying that the money will now be spent on district infrastructure, he is indirectly admitting that the funds were received in the first place. Moreover, who the hell is he to spend?”
Guruva Reddy argues that the money in question originally came from grants provided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and therefore must be returned to the HCA if any irregular payment has occurred. The association, he insists, should then work jointly with the TCA to build cricket infrastructure in districts that have long been neglected.
Old disputes, new accusations
The TCA has been locked in a prolonged legal battle with the HCA over the governance of cricket in Telangana. The association claims it has been fighting for two decades to secure fair representation for district players and to prevent what it calls the monopolisation of cricket administration by powerful individuals and private academies.
Guruva Reddy has also accused former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin — who previously served as HCA president — of ignoring court directives that called for cooperation between the HCA and the TCA in developing cricket across the state.
The TCA now wants the alleged agreement signed years ago between the promoters of Visakha Industries and then HCA secretary Shivlal Yadav to be made public. Activists claim that the document has mysteriously disappeared from the HCA’s official records.
A ₹300-crore scandal?
Guruva Reddy goes even further. He alleges that financial irregularities in the HCA could run into nearly ₹300 crore over the past several years and has threatened to pursue legal action if authorities fail to act.
“I will not rest until the HCA is cleansed of power brokers and private academy operators who have destroyed the credibility of the association and damaged the future of Telangana cricket,” he declared.
For many cricket lovers, the scandal represents more than just a financial dispute. They see it as a battle for the soul of cricket administration in Telangana — a fight to ensure that funds meant for grassroots development actually reach players rather than disappearing into political and administrative networks.
With the CID probe reportedly gathering momentum, the coming weeks could determine whether the truth behind the HCA’s alleged financial maze finally comes to light — or whether yet another chapter of controversy simply fades into silence.
