Andhra Cricket Association ombudsman strips secretary V Durga Prasad of all his powers

He requested Apex counsel to forward the complaint to the Ombudsman for passing appropriate orders/directions.
Andhra Cricket Association secretary V Durga Prasad. (Photo| EPS)
Andhra Cricket Association secretary V Durga Prasad. (Photo| EPS)

VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) Ombudsman Justice G Krishnamohan Reddy has stripped secretary V Durga Prasad of all his powers after finding him guilty of misconduct and for allegedly acting against the interest of the State Body. 

Durga Prasad was also debarred from participating in any functions of the ACA as its secretary. The Ombudsman also directed the ACA to make its own incharge arrangements for the secretary.

The problems started after V Prabhu Prasad, vice-president of the Krishna District Association, Vijayawada, approached the apex counsel of the ACA, contending that the Krishna District Cricket Association (KDCA) was not implementing the Supreme Court-mandated Lodha reforms.

He requested Apex counsel to forward the complaint to the Ombudsman for passing appropriate orders/directions. Prabhu Prasad’s complaint was considered on July 3 last year in the Apex Counsel, which forwarded it to the ombudsman. 

On July 15, 2020, the ombudsman passed an interim order directing the KDCA not to conduct elections till the final orders are given and posted the matter for respective objections of ACA and KDCA. Durga Prasad was earlier a joint secretary of the KDCA.

With no direction from ACA Apex counsel and without taking legal opinion of ACA counsel and on his own, Durga Prasad, secretary ACA, filed objections to the implementation of Lodha reforms in districts and questioned the powers of the ombudsman.

The KDCA also raised objections to implementation of Lodha reforms in the district bodies. 

Overruling the objections, in his final order dated November 10, 2020, the ombudsman observed that Lodha reforms are applicable to the district bodies and clubs. He also stayed the KDCA elections till a new constitution was framed for the district body. 

However, ACA secretary Durga Prasad, in violation of the final order of the ombudsman, attended the meeting of the KDCA on November 11, 2020, along with the ACA joint secretary as special invitees.

The meeting fixed December 6  as the election date and Satyanadh was appointed as the election officer. Durga Prasad also participated in the process of filing nominations by the contestants by accompanying them to the election officer.

Once again, Prabhu Prasad has approached the Ombudsman and sought his intervention. After hearing Durga Prasad and KDCA, on December 5, the Ombudsman pronounced  orders declaring the proposed elections as illegal.However, the KDCA went ahead and conducted the elections on December 6. Durga Prasad participated in the KDCA meeting again as a special invitee.

Prabhu Prasad moved an application before the Ombudsman to initiate contempt  action against Durga Prasad for his misconduct and the active role he played in conducting the elections against the ruling of the Ombudsman. Durga Prasad, in his 23-page counter, said the Ombudsman has no jurisdiction to take action against him.  

A Yellarao, secretary of KDCA, testified before the ombudsman and confirmed the participation of Durga Prasad in KDCA general body meetings appointing the election officer and conducting elections. The ombudsman has come to the conclusion that Durga Prasad, secretary ACA, acted detrimental to the welfare of the ACA as well as against the orders of the Ombudsman.

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