Our Correspondent
Hyderabad, March 28: Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) General Secretary Dharam Guruva Reddy has launched a strong attack on the Telangana Government, questioning its silence over the alleged ₹69 crore “loot” linked to the Visakha deal and a series of serious irregularities within the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). Calling it a blatant failure of governance, Reddy has demanded immediate state intervention to recover public money, restore illegally privatized cricket clubs, and initiate a comprehensive criminal probe into what he termed as “systematic loot and manipulation” of Hyderabad cricket.
Reddy asserted that the illegal privatization of 17 GHMC (formerly MCH) cricket clubs, the disappearance of 103 member clubs, and the emergence of 80 questionable private clubs reflect a deep-rooted nexus that has gone unchecked for years. He questioned why the Telangana Government has failed to act despite these clubs being public institutions or government-allotted entities, warning that continued silence would only encourage further illegal capture of cricketing infrastructure by private interests.
Backing his claims with documented evidence, Reddy stated that these findings have already been placed before the Supreme Court of India in SLP 6779/2021. The observations stem from the report of a Supervisory Committee headed by Justice N.A. Kakru, appointed to oversee the functioning of HCA. Referring to Chapter IV of the report titled “Work Done by Committee” and the section “Review of Memberships,” he said the committee has clearly exposed glaring fraud in the HCA’s membership system.
One of the most shocking revelations, according to Reddy, is the complete absence of a verified membership register. Despite a formal request by the committee on October 18, 2022, the HCA President informed on November 7, 2022 that no such register existed. The HCA Secretary, the official custodian of records, also confirmed this. “This itself establishes deliberate destruction or concealment of crucial records,” Reddy alleged.
He further pointed out that the HCA electoral roll is being maintained on unverifiable sources. The committee identified 206 member clubs with Hyderabad addresses, including 155 private clubs and 51 institutional entities. However, only 10 districts of Telangana (as they existed in 2014) are represented, while the 23 newly formed districts have no representation. “This clearly proves HCA has failed to function as a genuine state body,” Reddy said, adding that inquiries were initiated with the District Registrar of Ranga Reddy and the 2019 election officer to trace the basis of the electoral roll.
Highlighting the committee’s interim findings, Reddy revealed that in 1986, HCA had 156 legitimate private and institutional member clubs. Between 1986 and 1993, 20 MCH clubs were added. Today, however, only three—Red Hills, MCH, and Mayor’s clubs—remain with GHMC. “Seventeen clubs have been illegally transferred into private hands. This is nothing but blatant privatization of public property,” he said.
Further discrepancies were found in the alleged master register of 2002 (updated in 2008), which lists 229 member clubs. Reddy pointed out that 103 clubs that existed in AGM records until 1992—including 13 GHMC clubs—have disappeared without any explanation. Additionally, four GHMC clubs continue under the same names but are now under private control.
“In the 2015 register, 214 clubs are listed, including 80 entities that never existed in AGM records prior to 1992. Another 17 clubs appear for the first time. These illegal entries were clearly made to manipulate voting strength and influence elections,” Reddy alleged.
He also cited judicial observations to reinforce his claims. In OP 352 of 2002, the Chief Judge of the City Civil Court, Hyderabad, termed the HCA master register as “another big fraud.” Similarly, in OP 1154 of 2000, the court held that the register was riddled with overwriting, alterations, and inconsistencies, making it unreliable. “Despite such strong court findings, no corrective action has ever been taken,” Reddy noted.
The TCA General Secretary further exposed what he described as a “closed monopoly” within HCA, alleging that nearly 70 clubs are controlled by just 10 individuals. He claimed many of these clubs were artificially created after 1986 to inflate voting strength, and that club memberships have been openly traded for amounts ranging between ₹1 crore and ₹2 crore. Even institutional clubs allotted to government departments and corporates were allegedly sold off, leaving no trace of their original identity.
Citing specific examples, Reddy said the Commercial Taxes Club was illegally privatized, while the AP High Court Club had to undergo a prolonged legal battle before being restored. “This shows how deeply entrenched the illegal कब्जा of public institutions has become,” he said.
Reddy also expressed concern over the non-implementation of judicial orders, particularly WP 35139 of 2024, stating that court directions have not been enforced on the ground. “This reflects a serious administrative and political failure in protecting government institutions,” he remarked.
On the ongoing IPL season, Reddy demanded a probe into what he called a “ticket and player pass scam.” He alleged that complimentary tickets and player passes are being diverted and sold in the black market, denying genuine cricket lovers and young players the opportunity to watch matches. “This has become a systematic racket under HCA’s rotten system,” he charged.
He also criticized HCA for failing to align its constitution with the norms laid down by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), despite repeated objections and monitoring by the Supreme Court. “How can a cricket body function without transparency, verified membership records, and accountability?” he questioned.
Placing clear demands before the Telangana Government, Reddy called for the immediate recovery of the ₹69 crore linked to the Visakha deal and fixing of accountability. He demanded restoration of all 17 illegally privatized GHMC clubs, identification and cancellation of 80 fraudulent memberships, and tracing of the missing 103 clubs. He also sought a full criminal investigation into membership fraud, electoral manipulation, and illegal trading of clubs, along with strict action against those involved in the IPL ticket scam. Finally, he insisted that HCA must be brought into full compliance with BCCI constitutional norms.
Warning the government against continued inaction, Reddy said that ignoring these serious issues—despite findings under the supervision of the Supreme Court—would be seen as a deliberate attempt to protect vested interests at the cost of Telangana cricket and public institutions.
