The alleged corruption in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) took another twist on Sunday, with former cricketer and BJP Parliamentarian Kirti Azad releasing an ‘investigative’ video CD which claimed that the cricketing body had paid crores to 14 “fake” companies whose addresses were found to be false.
It also accused DDCA of massive audit fraud and money laundering and demanded a probe by the Enforcement Directorate and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (both under the Finance Ministry).
Though Azad did not name Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was DDCA President for 13 years till December 2013, the period of the CD pertained to his tenure.
Minutes after Azad’s press conference, the Arvind Kejriwal–led Delhi government, which has been involved in a verbal duel with Jaitley on the alleged graft in DDCA and has demanded his resignation for a “fair” probe, said it would set up an enquiry commission and had written to former Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam, asking him to head it.
Meanwhile, DDCA, while reportedly admitted to “financial irregularities”, absolved Jaitley and blamed former DDCA chief Sneh Bansal. Jaitley, who has vehemently rejected all the allegations, was also backed by cricketers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who tweeted in his support on Sunday. Earlier, at a crowded press conference along with former cricketers Bishen Singh Bedi and Surinder Khanna, and senior DDCA member Samir Bahadur, Azad said “the DDCA has become LIC — Legal Institute of Corruption”, adding that he was not making any “personal allegations”, but was flagging corruption, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dictum of “ Na Khaoonga, Na Khane Doonga ”.
Incidentally, the CD played by Azad was investigated by one Wikileaks4India, which is not associated with international whistleblower Web site, Wikileaks.