Mumbai/Kolkata, March 24 (IANS) Mumbai Police will Wednesday file a charge sheet against Jagmohan Dalmiya, former high-profile chief of India’s cricket board, for suspected cheating and misappropriation of 1996 World Cup funds.
“There is sufficient documentary evidence to prove Dalmiya guilty of misusing his power,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria told IANS Monday.
Maria added that Dalmiya who led the Indian cricket board for over a decade would be charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to cheating, criminal breach of trust and conspiracy.
The charge sheet will be filed in the sessions court of Mumbai.
In Kolkata, Dalmiya said: “From media reports it is learnt that an alleged charge sheet is likely to be filed in near future. So far I have not received any copy of it.
“However, I would revert if a charge sheet is filed and a copy of it is served on me. At this stage I do not wish to comment on any such statement,” Dalmiya told IANS.
“Challenging the action taken by BCCI, I had filed a suit in the Calcutta High Court, in which an order has been passed stating that the action taken against me was totally illegal.
“In that proceeding, BCCI office bearers had filed an application supported by an affidavit containing patently incorrect statement for which I have filed an application praying before the high court to initiate proceedings for perjury against the concerned office bearers,” he said.
In 2006, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), then led by Sharad Pawar, had accused against Dalmiya of misusing board funds from a bank account opened during the 1996 World Cup.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW), which recently completed its investigations into Dalmiya’s role in the case, has found him guilty of misappropriation of BCCI funds to the tune of Rs.29 million, Maria said.
The case pertains to an account Dalmiya opened in Indian Overseas Bank when India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka jointly hosted the World Cup. Dalmiya was authorized to operate this account along with the Pakistan Cricket Board.
After the World Cup, the committee comprising officials from the three countries faced a number of income tax cases in India. Following this, the committee decided the account would be used only to meet expenses to fight these cases.
In 2006, when Pawar was elected BCCI president, Dalmiya closed the account. Soon after, BCCI asked Dalmiya to provide details of funds spent from the account alleging that he had used Rs.2.17 million from the account for his personal use.
Following these allegations, the BCCI lodged a first information report (FIR) against Dalmiya, former board secretary S.K. Nair and others.