BCCI suspends arrested GCA President, Secretary; issues showcause notice

New Delhi, June 18। The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday issued notice to Goa Cricket Association (GCA) President Chetan Desai and Secretary Vinod Phadke, who were recently arrested for alleged financial fraud.

The duo have been given 15 days time to reply and were also suspended with immediate effect from the BCCI sub-committees. Desai is chairman of the BCCI's marketing committee while Phadke is on the information technology and data management panel.

Along with Desai and Phadke, GCA treasurer Akbar Mulla has also been arrested for allegedly encashing a Rs.3.13 crore cheque from the BCCI in 2006-07 and depositing it in a fake bank account in the name of the state cricket association.

In a statement issued to the media, the BCCI asked the duo of Desai and Phadke to give a written reply within the stipulated period.

"Given the serious nature of the allegations, the BCCI has decided to investigate the said allegations as well and has accordingly issued show cause notices to the president and the secretary of the Goa Cricket Association, under the Memorandum and Rules and Regulations of the BCCI ("Rules"), as to why action should not be taken against them as per BCCI rules.

"They have been given a time of 15 days from Saturday to submit their written replies in the matter to the BCCI," the statement read.

"Pending the process of inquiry which has begun, the BCCI by virtue of the powers vested with the president and the Secretary of the BCCI, have suspended the president of the Goa Cricket Association, Chetan Desai, from acting as chairman of the Marketing Committee of the BCCI and Vinod Phadke, the secretary of the Goa Cricket Association from acting as a member of the Information and Technology Committee of the BCCI.

"The suspension comes into effect immediately from Saturday," it further stated.

In the wake of such incidents, the BCCI on Friday decided to tighten the screws while distributing funds to the state associations. 

The board had decided to do away with earlier modes of cheque payment and has switched to electronic methods to distribute funds to all state associations.