Court rules out HCA patch-up

The Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday refused to accept the request of the office bearers of the Hyderabad Cricket Association to patch up their differences and allow them to run the affairs of the HCA.

A division bench comprising Justice V. Ramasubramanian and Justice J. Uma Devi was disposing of interlocutory applications in the PIL moved, seeking implementation of recommendations of the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee in the HCA.

The bench pointed out, “The claim of the respondents is that they will patch up. But the issues raised by each one of the elected members as against the others relate to serious acts of financial improprieties, conflict of interests, and involvement in criminal case and serious irregularities.”

The bench observed, “The only way they can patch up amongst themselves is by sacrificing the interests of the institution. We have no doubt that the elected office-bearers who have raised arms against each other, may be able to sink their differences and come together, if they compromise on the value of the institution.”

The bench said, “For instance, the President of the Society who is now disqualified is part of an industry which has a claim on HCA for about `24 crore.”

The bench felt that if the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and other members have to come to terms with the President, they may have to allow him to take way this money.

The bench said “In turn, the President may have to offer to the other office-bearers, a pound of flesh, not of his own, but of the institution’s.”

The bench observed that the attempted patch-up appeared to be more dangerous than the in-fighting that was going on.