The BCCI, the richest sports body in the country, is in a soup over a Rs 50 crore land deal for its cricket academy near Bangalore after it emerged that a fraud has occurred, says a report in The Times Of india, adding that at a meeting of the sub-committee of the National Cricket Academy today, members were apprised of the role of a person, who is believed to be the kingpin in the fraud.
Sources said the person is neither an employee of BCCI nor associated with any state association but signed documents on behalf of the Board with Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for procuring 49 acres of land at a place near the airport.
“The BCCI made a payment of Rs 46.135 crore for this deal in 2010. Earlier in 2008, BCCI had paid Rs 3.841 crore to Karnataka government for 32 acres of land in Bidadi on the outskirts of Bangalore for building NCA facilities but the deal was called off as it was far away from the international airport and logistical difficulties were taken into account,” says the TOI report.
According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, after having paid nearly Rs 50 crore (Rs 49,97,60,000), BCCI bosses were surprised as to the number of PILs that were filed in the Karnataka High Court. On June 20, the High Court gave its verdict terming the land deal illegal.
“This is when BCCI top brass realised that they have been taken for a ride by a tout. Shanbhag, since then, has been untraceable and the role played by former Manager (Administration) A K Jha came under the scanner. It has been learnt that BCCI Game Development Manager Ratnakar Shetty got a recorded statement from Jha where he has admitted that "Shanbagh had co-ordinated voluntarily on behalf of BCCI" but couldn't give any convincing answer as to what has been the former's (Shanbagh's) locus standi,” says the report.
"When we questioned as to how Shanbagh entered into the picture, we were told that no one knows his background as he was regularly seen sitting at Jha's office," a BCCI office-bearer told PTI today.
Jha has already been removed by the BCCI and the NCA committee today referred the matter to BCCI Working Committee. "Since Rs 50 crore is a big amount and also there is an urgent need to decide on what kind of action be taken against Shanbagh and Jha, the matter has been referred to Working Committee for approval."