HYDERABAD: In a significant development, the Principal District and Sessions Judge, B R Madhusudhan Rao, has granted anticipatory bail to former president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), Mohammed Azharuddin.
This ruling comes in response to three separate criminal cases filed by Uppal police in Hyderabad, accusing Azharuddin and others of involvement in irregularities related to the procurement of cricket balls, gym equipment, and fire extinguishers for the HCA stadium at Uppal.
According to Konda Krishna, the advocate representing Azharuddin, the police had named him as an accused solely because he held the position of HCA President during the relevant time.
Krishna argued that tenders had been solicited for the mentioned purchases, and the work, valued at Rs 3.5 crore, had been assigned to a successful bidder who failed to complete it within the stipulated timeframe. Further, Krishna contended that the payment was made despite the work not being completed, insisting that it was not part of a criminal conspiracy.
However, the public prosecutor, Buchi Reddy, vehemently opposed any relief for Azharuddin, asserting that the HCA’s funds had been misused. Reddy claimed that the accounts had been audited, revealing a clear misuse of HCA funds in this case.
In Azharuddin’s defense, senior counsel K Ramakanth Reddy pointed out the irony of the situation. He noted that the same CEO of HCA who had initiated the purchase order in July 2021 was now filing a complaint against Azharuddin for the same purchase after a lapse of two years.
Reddy also highlighted that the CEO had been suspended during Azharuddin’s presidency, and the current FIRs appeared to be a consequence of that suspension episode.
Following the arguments presented by both sides, the judge granted anticipatory bail to Mohammed Azharuddin with certain conditions.