Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Hyderabad in connection with the misappropriation of funds case. The money laundering case is linked to the alleged misappropriation of funds in the Hyderabad Cricket Association.
Azharuddin has been summoned to appear before the central agency on Thursday, October 3, as reported by Republic. This marks the first time the Congress leader has received such a summons.
The case involves the alleged misappropriation of Rs 20 crore intended for the purchase of diesel generators, firefighting systems, and canopies for the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad.
The money laundering case originates from four criminal cases filed by the Hyderabad Police in October 2023. Azharuddin and several former officials of the HCA are facing charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and conspiracy under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Details reveal that a forensic audit, initiated at the HCA's request, uncovered significant fund mismanagement and the diversion of resources to private agencies between March 2020 and February 2023. Following these revelations, HCA CEO Suneel Kante Bose lodged a formal complaint.
Azharuddin denied the allegations, calling them "false" and politically motivated, saying, "This is just a stunt pulled by my rivals to ruin my reputation."
In November 2023, a Hyderabad court granted him anticipatory bail in three of the four cases.
With inputs from India Today
